NATIONAL Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, on Thursday, presided over an emotional reunion as two kidnapped women were handed back to their family after being rescued from captivity in Kaduna State.
News Point Nigeria reports that the victims, Khadijah Shehu Magaji and her sister Fatimah Shehu Magaji, were abducted on August 18, 2025, in Makarfi Town, Kaduna State, before being whisked into the dreaded Yadi Forest in Kidanda, Giwa Local Government Area.
During their months-long ordeal in the kidnappers’ den, Khadijah endured the unimaginable: she gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Hafsat, under harsh and life-threatening conditions.
“While held captive, Khadijah gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, whom she named Hafsat, under incredibly difficult circumstances,” Ribadu disclosed while presenting the victims.
In a brief but emotional ceremony in Abuja, Ribadu officially handed the women over to their husband, marking the end of a harrowing chapter. Family members wept tears of joy as they embraced the victims and the newborn, thanking the government and security forces for their safe return.
The NSA praised the resilience of the women and assured Nigerians of the government’s determination to dismantle kidnapping networks across the country.
In addition to the rescue, Ribadu announced the capture of two infamous armed robbers, identified as Ibrahim Mohammed (aka Alaye) and Adamu Mohammed. The duo had long been on the radar of security agencies for their roles in the brutal killing of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Gwagwalada and the murder of a lawmaker in Gareywa, both in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Their arrest is another clear message that criminals, no matter how notorious, cannot hide from the long arm of the law,” Ribadu declared.
The NSA reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism, banditry, and armed robbery, stressing that security agencies would continue to work tirelessly to safeguard the lives and property of Nigerians.
The reunion of the victims with their family, coupled with the high-profile arrests, is seen as a morale booster for both the public and security forces waging war against insecurity nationwide.
