Family members of the Al-Kadriyar girls have confirmed paying a ransom to bandits for the release of five out of the six girls kidnapped on January 2, 2023, in the Bwari area of the Federal Capital Territory.
Abbas Al-Kadriyar stated, “We paid a ransom for the release of our girls… no police were involved,” while debunking reports from FCT police and Nigerian Army sources.
Sheriffdeen Al-Kadriyar supported this account, stating, “My elder brother was the one who went to pick up the girls on Saturday, days after we’ve paid the ransom. But the soldiers escorted them back home.”The FCT Police Command had claimed earlier that the victims were rescued by a joint team of police and army personnel.
In response, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, affirmed the victims' rescue around Kajuru forest in Kaduna State, stating that it was a result of the FCT anti-kidnapping squad's efforts along with troops of the Nigerian Army, contradicting the family's version of events.
