Ex-minister’s Friend Offers To Pay N50m Ransom Of Abducted Sisters

Former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, has revealed that one of his friends has offered to pay a N50 million ransom being demanded by bandits who abducted Alhaji Mansoor Al-Kadriyar’s six children.

The kidnappers have threatened to kill the remaining five sisters after murdering Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar on Friday.

She was killed on Friday by her abductors and was laid to rest according to Islamic rites on Saturday.

Nabeeha was a 400-level student of Biological Science at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Others abducted include Najeebah (500 level, Quantity Surveying) and Nadheerah (300 level, Zoology).

However, ex-minister Pantami disclosed in a tweet on his X handle on Sunday that a friend of his, whose name was not mentioned, has offered to contribute N50 million to their release.

Posting on X, the former minister wrote: “Alhamdu lil Laah! I am personally not in support of paying ransom to criminals. However, since it became clear that we lost our daughter Nabeeha yesterday and the five remaining daughters have been threatened, I spoke with the father on the matter yesterday and today, I spoke with a friend and a brother who offered to pay the remaining 50 million Naira of the 60 million immediately.

“I conveyed the account number of the father of our daughters, Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, to the friend and brother to send the money directly. Any additional amount generated yesterday, the father can use to treat the daughters and other family members, in sha Allah.

“May the Almighty Allah reward the brother and friend with Jannatul Firdaus for the donation.”

“May He also forgive Nabeeha and rescue her sisters. May the Almighty also help our security agencies to bring an end to these challenges. May Nigeria be a better place for all of us.”

Following the abduction of six girls in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, one of them identified as Nabeehah was reportedly killed by the abductors.

In the early hours of Wednesday, January 3, 2024, an X user, Adamu_Asiya_, who identified herself as a cousin to the kidnapped sisters announced the kidnap, noting that her uncle was killed in the process.

She said, “Please pray for my sisters and uncle when you see this. Nabeeha, her sisters, and her dad were kidnapped in their house last night. We lost an uncle in the process. Your duas are needed.”

Two days after her first tweet, she informed the public that the father of the girls was released by the kidnappers with a ransom of N60m placed on the lives of the Najeebah and her sisters with a deadline given.

After her tweet, the hashtag, #Najeebaandhersisters was created to raise the N60m demanded by the kidnappers.

However, in the early hours of Saturday, the cousin of the kidnapped sisters, Asiya, came on X to announce that one of the sisters, Nabeeha had been killed by the kidnappers after failing to meet the deadline for payment of the ransom.