Following the release of the Al-Kadriyar siblings by the gunmen who kidnapped them, the Minister of women affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye said psychotherapy sessions would be arranged for the girls to give them a comprehensive rehabilitation.
The girls and their father were kidnapped in the Bwari area of Abuja on January 2, the eldest Naheeda Kadriyar was killed as the kidnappers got impatient with their family in their ransom demand. They were released last Saturday after ransom was paid and are currently receiving medical treatment at a facility in Abuja.
“The ministry will closely monitor their recovery and will be there for them immediately when they leave this facility and commence full rehabilitation which includes engagement of a psychologist.
“This is due to the trauma they must have been through during the period in the kidnappers’ custody,” said Kennedy-Ohanenye.
She added that President Bola Tinubu was always concerned about the wellbeing of the family during their ordeal.
“President Bola Tinubu is deeply worried about this trend of kidnapping and is working assiduously towards addressing the situation. After this visit, I will update the president and first lady about the condition of these girls” she added.
The police had released a statement that a joint security operation between the police and the army rescued the girls from the den of the kidnappers but according to their cousin Mubarak Al Kadriyar, ransom was paid.
“They released 12 people altogether – comprising five from Al-Kadriyar’s family, and seven other people from three different families abducted from the Dutse axis in the FCT. We jointly made the payment last Wednesday,” he told Daily Trust.
“It was a collective payment with the other family members. They told every family what to pay, and one person agreed to collect all the money on behalf of the others and given directives on how to bring the money.”
He added that the security agencies need to do more to secure the lives and property of citizens.
“They have done their best actually, but as I earlier said what they did was not enough. The security agencies have failed to prioritize the lives of the citizens which is their duty.
“Because even after the ransom was paid, should they come in to say they want to rescue them?
“The bandits shouldn’t have stayed conveniently from Wednesday down to Saturday night and at their convenience to release them to us, and they left thereafter without anybody confronting them.”
