Nabeeha, one of the six sisters abducted in the Bwari area council of the federal capital territory (FCT), has reportedly died in captivity.
On January 5, gunmen invaded the residence of the family in the Zuma 1 area of Abuja, abducting six girls and shooting two police officers.
Adamu Asiya, who claimed to be a family member, announced on X that one of the girls was dead.
“We unfortunately lost Nabeeha to the battle”, Asiya said on Saturday, adding that the kidnappers had earlier increased the ransom from N60 million to N65 million.
“Day 12: #Najeebahandhersisters haven’t been released. We unfortunately lost Nabeeha to the battle and the kidnappers have increased the money to 65m and have given a deadline of Wednesday,” she posted.
“Let’s not get tired and keep pushing. Thank you and God bless you all for your efforts so far.”
The development has elicited outrage as Nigerians have taken to social media platforms to lament the incident.
“El Rufai was right when he said there’s nothing like Northern Elders, ’cause we don’t in any way feel their presence, relevance or importance, for how long have we been suffering? They don’t speak, they don’t do nothing,” an X user with the handle @MFaarees posted.
Isa Pantami, former minister of communications and digital economy, also commented on the development, saying he has spoken with the father of the girls.
“I just read about the killing of our daughter Najeeba (400 level, ABU). I also spoke with her father on the remaining 5 of our kidnapped daughters. May Allah forgive her, rescue others & bring absolute peace in Nigeria,” he tweeted.
Josephine Adeh, the FCT police spokesperson, said that she is yet to confirm the development.
“We don’t know yet whether the girl was killed… What we know is that we are on top of the situation,” Adeh said.
‘WE’RE WORKING TO RESCUE THE GIRLS’
Reacting to the incident on X, Muyiwa Adejobi, spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), asked the family members of the girls to reach out to him.
“Please, let the family members or you relate with us codedly. Let them reach out to me on my personal line, and drop a msg there,” Adejobi said on Saturday.
“We have been working on it, but we need some info. We will try our best possible to emplace all necessary measures to rescue them unhurt. But we need to get some info please. Thanks.”
In a statement issued on Sunday to further address the matter, the NPF spokesperson assured that the police are engaging and reaching out to all persons crucial to rescuing the girls.
“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 statement reads.
“The force headquarters is diligently coordinating efforts to address this and prevent any further occurence, 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.”
Adejobi also called for “open communication” with the police on the abduction.
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