The National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, on Tuesday handed over two rescued kidnap victims to the Kaduna State Government, stressing that no ransom was paid for their release.
Ribadu presented the women; Khadijah Shehu Magaji and Fatimah Shehu Magaji, both married to the same husband; after they regained freedom following more than a month in captivity.
The NSA revealed that one of the victims, Khadijah, gave birth to a baby girl, Hafsat, while being held in the kidnappers’ den.
According to him, the women were abducted on August 18, 2025, in Makarfi town, Kaduna State, and taken deep into Yadi Forest in the Kidanda area of Giwa Local Government.
“For 33 harrowing days, these women endured unimaginable hardship in the hands of their captors. The kidnappers initially demanded N500 million in ransom, later reducing it to N200 million.
“However, through our non-kinetic approach, anchored on dialogue, intelligence gathering, and strategic intervention, we secured their freedom without paying ransom,” he said.
The pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, noted that the rescue on September 19, 2025, underscored the effectiveness of non-kinetic security strategies and the importance of collaboration between security agencies and the Kaduna State Government.
Weighing in on other security operations, Ribadu announced the arrest of two notorious armed robbery suspects identified as Ibrahim Mohammed (aka Alaye) and Adamu Mon’d.
According to him, the suspects have been linked to several violent crimes, including kidnapping, armed robbery, and car snatching at gunpoint within Abuja.
“They are responsible for the killing of a lawyer in Gareywa and the killing of a Divisional Police Officer, DPO, along the Gwagwalada axis. Their network also extends to Delta, Kaduna, Kano, and Kogi States,” he said.
NSA hands over 2 rescued victims of kidnap to Kaduna govt