BREAKING: Killers of Police Officer, Lawmaker Arrested — Ribadu Hands Over Rescued Women After 33 Days in Captivity

ABUJA — In a dramatic breakthrough against violent crime, National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, on Tuesday handed over two women rescued from the clutches of kidnappers to their relieved families, even as he announced the arrest of two notorious armed robbers behind the killing of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Gwagwalada and a federal lawmaker in Gareywa, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The suspects, identified as Ibrahim Mohammed (alias Alaye) and Adamu Mohammed, were paraded as masterminds of the brutal murders, as well as a string of kidnappings and car-snatching operations spanning Delta, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, and Nasarawa states.

Represented by the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj.-Gen. Adamu Garba Laka, the NSA disclosed that the rescued women — Khadijah Shehu Magaji and Fatimah Shehu Magaji — had been abducted on August 18 in Makarfi Town, Kaduna State, and held hostage for 33 harrowing days deep inside Yadi Forest, Giwa Local Government Area.

Tragically, while in captivity, Khadijah was forced to deliver a baby girl under inhumane conditions. She named the child Hafsat, a symbol of survival and resilience amid terror.

> “For 33 excruciating days, these women endured unimaginable hardship. Their captors initially demanded an outrageous ransom of ₦500 million before reducing it to ₦200 million. But through a non-kinetic approach — anchored on dialogue, intelligence gathering, and strategic intervention — we secured their freedom without paying a kobo in ransom,” Ribadu said.

The NSA hailed the operation as proof that non-kinetic strategies remain central to the federal government’s fight against terrorism and banditry.

> “This rescue is not just a victory for the victims and their families but also for every Nigerian who believes in the power of dialogue over violence, strategy over chaos, and unity over division,” he declared.

Ribadu stressed that the arrests of the suspected killers mark a significant step toward dismantling criminal networks undermining national security. He vowed that government security architecture, working in synergy, will continue to ensure justice for victims and restore peace across the country.

The victims, visibly shaken but grateful, were reunited with their families in an emotional handover that underscored the human cost of insecurity — and the government’s resolve to end it.