A COUPLE abducted alongside their six-month-old daughter from their residence in Millennium City, Kaduna State, have appealed to security agencies and the authorities to secure their release after their captors allegedly demanded N300 million ransom for the family.
News Point Nigeria reports that the victims made the appeal in a viral 40-second video showing the husband, Ahmed Abubakar Zakka, holding their baby while his wife sat beside him, with one of the kidnappers pointing a gun at him.
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The couple and their infant daughter were abducted on October 6, 2026, when bandits attacked Alrahus Estate in Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The attackers reportedly stormed the estate at about 11:30 pm and went from house to house in search of victims. Zakka, his wife and their infant daughter were abducted after the gunmen broke into their residence.
Speaking in Hausa in the video, Zakka appealed for help, saying his captors were demanding N300 million to release the family.
“My name is Ahmed Abubakar Zakka. I’m seeking assistance. I was abducted on Monday around 11:30 pm, myself, my wife and our daughter at Millennium City. Please, we are seeking assistance because they are demanding N300 million. In the name of God, we are seeking assistance,” he said.
The video showed Zakka holding the crying, naked baby, while his wife’s voice could also be heard pleading for their lives.
The bandits also abducted a pregnant woman whose husband, Abdulkadir Bello, was away in Abuja at the time of the incident.
Bello said his wife called him at about 11:30 pm and informed him that some people were trying to force their way into their compound.
He explained that he attempted to contact the police but could not get through before reaching out to the military, which subsequently deployed personnel to the area.
Bello later confirmed that the assailants eventually abducted his pregnant wife and contacted him to demand a ransom for her release.
The latest incident has intensified concerns over repeated attacks and abductions in Millennium City and neighbouring communities on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis.
Barely five days before the attack, bandits reportedly killed a man identified as Sikiru and abducted his wife and son alongside six other people in the PW Babban Saura area.
Sikiru’s wife, Hafsat, and their 14-year-old son, Abdulsalam, are still in captivity, while the bandits have demanded a huge ransom for their release.
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A family member of Zakka, who pleaded not to be named, disclosed that the victims were both orphans who had been married for six years without a child before welcoming their six-month-old daughter, Fatima, who was shown in the viral video.
“They were both orphans who lost their parents before they got married. They had been married for six years without a child before they were blessed with a baby girl, Fatima, six months ago,” he said.
The source said he grew up with Zakka in the same family house and that they had lived together during their teenage years. According to him, the victims relocated to the estate about a year ago.
“We grew up together in my family house and stayed together during our teenage years. We are pleading with the authorities to help secure their release unharmed,” he said.
Reacting to the viral video on Monday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called on security agencies to act swiftly to rescue Zakka, his wife, their baby and other Nigerians being held captive.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), described the video as a painful reminder of the insecurity threatening lives and tearing families apart across the country in a post on his Facebook page.
“No Nigerian should have to plead for their life or the safety of their family in the hands of criminals. The thought of an infant caught in this ordeal is especially heartbreaking.
“I urge the relevant security agencies to act swiftly and decisively to secure the safe release of Ahmed Zakka, his wife, their child and every other Nigerian still held in captivity,” he said.
The former vice president said kidnapping had compounded the hardship faced by Nigerians already struggling with the rising cost of living.
“This tragedy comes as families are already struggling with the crushing cost of living. Nigerians are battling the rising cost of food, transport and other essentials; they should not also have to live in fear of being abducted in their homes or on the roads. Insecurity deepens hardship, disrupts livelihoods and leaves families bearing both emotional and financial burdens they can scarcely afford,” he said.
Atiku urged the government to move beyond assurances and take sustained action to rescue abducted persons, protect vulnerable communities and dismantle criminal networks responsible for the attacks.
“The government must move beyond assurances and deliver an effective, sustained response: rescue those in captivity, protect vulnerable communities and dismantle the networks responsible for these crimes. Every Nigerian deserves to live, work and raise a family without the constant fear of violence,” he said.
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He expressed sympathy with the Zakka family and other families whose relatives remained in captivity, stressing that the protection of citizens must remain a priority.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the Zakka family and all families enduring the trauma of kidnapping. The protection of every Nigerian life must remain an overriding responsibility of the government,” he added.
