Six sisters were abducted by armed men from their home in Bwari, a suburb of Abuja, on 2 January 2024. They were taken along with their father, Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, who was later released to raise a ransom. One of the sisters, Nabeeha, a 21-year-old university student, was killed by the kidnappers as a warning.
The remaining five sisters were rescued by the Nigerian police and army in a joint operation on 21 January 2024. They were found in a forest near Kajuru in Kaduna State, where the kidnappers had taken them. The sisters were reunited with their family and received medical attention. The case of the Al-Kadriyar sisters sparked a public outcry and a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the ransom, which was set at 65 million naira ($68,000; £53,000).
However, the Nigerian defence minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, urged people not to pay the ransom, saying it would only worsen the kidnapping crisis in the country. He said the security agencies were working hard to end the kidnapping and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Kidnapping has become a widespread problem in Nigeria, especially in the north-west region, where criminal gangs target people for ransom. Hundreds of people have been abducted in recent years, including schoolchildren, travellers, and workers. The insecurity has also reached the capital, Abuja, prompting the police to launch a special squad to tackle the kidnapping gangs.
