THE four remaining siblings of late Nabeeha Al-Kadriyah have regained freedom, this newspaper can report.
The sisters were abducted alongside their father early January.
Their abductors had given a deadline for the payment of ransom, and failure of the family to meet their demand led to the killing of Nabeeha.
After killing the victim, the bandits raised the ransom from N60 million to N100 million, threatening to kill the remaining sisters.
But as of the time of filing this report (6:30 am on Sunday), the girls had regained freedom and arrived their Abuja residence where they were abducted.
This newspaper understands that security operatives escorted them home, where they were received by family members.
The four victims are Najeeba, a 500-level Quantity Surveying student, her younger sister Nadherah, 300-level Zoology student, both of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria and their twin sisters, Habeeba and Haneesa.
The uncle to the girls, Sherifdeen, confirmed the development to our correspondent in a telephone chat Sunday morning.
According to him, “The girls’ release was secured late Saturday,” he said.
It was gathered that although the N100 million ransom placed on them had since been paid, the bandits held on to them for days putting the family in suspense until Saturday night.
In a statement signed by Sherifdeen Al-Kadriyah, the family thanked the Nigerians for standing by them during the trying and traumatic period.
“Words cannot express the immense gratitude and relief we feel at this moment. It is a true testament to the power of faith and the unwavering support and prayers from every one of you. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank Allah for His mercy and guidance throughout this difficult time.
“However, amidst our celebration and gratitude, we must remember and pray for those who have lost their lives during this process. Their sacrifices must not go unnoticed, and their families must be in our prayers and thoughts.
“May Allah grant them the highest ranks in Jannah, enveloping them with His mercy and forgiveness. May He bring comfort and peace to their grieving families, providing them with strength to endure their loss.
“Our beloved daughters have shown remarkable strength and resilience, and we are overjoyed to have them back in our arms. Their bravery and courage during their time held captive will forever inspire us all. May Allah bless and protect every one of these incredible young women and grant them emotional healing and strength in the days to come”.