Thirty-five women and children who were abducted by bandits in Niger State have been rescued by the Nigeria Police and are now set to be reunited with their families and communities.
The victims, comprising 16 women and 19 children, were taken hostage at different times, with some of the abductions dating as far back as 11 years ago. The most recent incidents occurred in February 2024 in Shiroro and Rafi Local Government Areas.
According to police sources, the rescue operation took place between July 3 and 5, when the victims were intercepted while being moved to another location by their captors.
Tragically, many of the rescued women had been forcibly married to their abductors and now have children born during their captivity. One of the victims, Zuera Ahmed, disclosed that she was kidnapped from Maiduguri in 2013 and has since given birth to two children while in captivity.
Authorities revealed that following their initial rescue, some of the women expressed a reluctance to return home, citing psychological trauma and long-term attachment to their captors. However, after days of therapy and counselling, the victims have agreed to reintegrate into society.
Plans are currently underway to facilitate their safe return and provide continued psychosocial and economic support to aid their recovery and reintegration.
The rescue comes amid heightened security operations across the country, with Nigerian security forces stepping up efforts to dismantle bandit camps and restore peace in affected regions.
This latest success underscores the ongoing commitment by security agencies to combat kidnapping and other forms of insecurity, particularly in the North Central region.
