What bandits told us before we found Nabeeha’s corpse – Uncle

An uncle of the deceased, Alhaji Abdulfatai, who led policemen to rescue the abductees, was gunned down by the bandits.

Also, two among the three injured policemen hit by bullets during the fire exchange reportedly died.

Speaking with Daily Trust, Nabeeha’s uncle, who has been involved in rescue efforts, said the bandits were infuriated when they told them they had raised half of the N60 million ransom.

According to him, “On Friday which was the day the deadline they gave us lapsed, they called and we tried to plead and negotiate with them that we were only able to raise close to N30 million. After back and forth, they instructed us to come and receive a ‘message’ at a location in the night.

“But when we got there around past 10 pm, what we saw was shocking. Nabeeha and three other victims were brutally murdered and we have to go with our corpse and leave the other three bodies there who might also be victims of failed negotiation because we believe their people are also coming for them. It was a heatless scenario”, he said.

Sherifdeen added that “they later called and warned that they would be killing the rest siblings if the ransom which they have increased to N100m, N20m each for the five of them remaining is not met on the next deadline on Wednesday.

“They rejected the close to N30m that we took to them. They were furious and resulted in further insults and threats that we were even pleading with them for N65m or N70m which we don’t even have”, he added.

Sharafadeen called on the state and federal government to come to the rescue of the remaining five siblings and all the captives still in the custody of the bandits to avoid a similar fate like Nabeeha.

Meanwhile, spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has emphasised that the police and other security agencies had been on the matter to rescue the abducted persons.

In a statement, Adejobi said Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General, had directed that tactical intelligence units be expanded in order to combat kidnapping.

“In the wake of the abduction of six young girls in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, it is vital to state that the Police Force has already initiated a comprehensive plan of action. The Force Headquarters is diligently coordinating efforts to address this and prevent any further occurrence, as all hands are on deck to rescue the victims.

“However, the sensitivity of the situation necessitates discretion, and as a result, specific details are being kept confidential to avoid compromising ongoing operations.

“The NPF is actively engaging and contacting individuals crucial to the rescue operations and investigation. The objective is not only to bring perpetrators to justice but also to intensify efforts in rescue operations for victims still in captivity.” Daily Trust