Abducted Kaduna couple begs for rescue  – Daily Trust

A couple kidnapped alongside their six-month-old daughter from their residence in Millennium City, Kaduna State, have appealed to safety companies to safe their launch.

They made the enchantment in a viral video, exhibiting the husband, Ahmed Abubakar Zakka, holding their child whereas his spouse sat beside him, with a gun pointed at him by one of many kidnappers.

The duo have been kidnapped on October 6, 2026, when bandits attacked Alrahus Estate in Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of the state.

The attackers reportedly stormed the property at about 11:30 pm and went from home to deal with looking for victims. Zakka, his spouse and their toddler daughter have been kidnapped after the gunmen broke into their residence.

Speaking in Hausa within the 40-second video, Zakka stated his captors have been demanding N300m ransom to launch the household.

“My name is Ahmed Abubakar Zakka. I’m seeking assistance. I was abducted on Monday around 11:30 pm, myself, my wife and our daughter at Millennium City. Please, we are seeking assistance because they are demanding N300 million. In the name of God, we are seeking assistance,” he stated.

The video confirmed Zakka holding the crying bare child, whereas his spouse’s voice is also heard pleading for their lives.

The bandits additionally kidnapped a pregnant lady, whose husband, Abdulkadir Bello, was away in Abuja on the time of the incident.

Bello stated his spouse referred to as him round 11:30 pm and knowledgeable him that some folks have been attempting to power their manner into their compound.

He stated he tried contacting the police however couldn’t get by earlier than reaching out to the army, which deployed personnel to the world.

Bello later confirmed that the assailants ultimately took his pregnant spouse and contacted him for a ransom.

The newest incident has intensified considerations over repeated assaults and abductions in Millennium City and neighbouring communities on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis.

Barely 5 days earlier than the assault, bandits reportedly killed a person recognized as Sikiru and kidnapped his spouse and son alongside six different folks within the PW Babban Saura space. Sikiru’s spouse, Hafsat, and their 14-year-old son, Abdulsalam, are nonetheless in captivity, whereas the bandits demanded an enormous ransom.

‘Abducted couple had child 6 years after marriage’

A member of the family of Zakka, who pleaded to not be named, stated the victims have been each orphans who had been married for six years and not using a youngster earlier than welcoming their six-month-old child woman, Fatima, proven within the viral video.

“They were both orphans who lost their parents before they got married. They had been married for six years without a child before they were blessed with a baby girl, Fatima, six months ago,” he stated.

The supply stated he grew up with Zakka in the identical household home and that they’d lived collectively throughout their teenage years. According to him, the victims relocated to the property a couple of yr in the past.

“We grew up together in my family house and stayed together during our teenage years. We are pleading with the authorities to help secure their release unharmed,” he stated.

Reacting to the video on Monday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar referred to as on safety companies to behave swiftly to rescue Zakka, his spouse, their child and different Nigerians being held captive.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in a put up on his Facebook web page, described the video as a painful reminder of the insecurity threatening lives and tearing households aside throughout the nation.

“No Nigerian ought to need to plead for their life or the security of their household within the fingers of criminals. The considered an toddler caught on this ordeal is particularly heartbreaking.

“I urge the relevant security agencies to act swiftly and decisively to secure the safe release of Ahmed Zakka, his wife, their child and every other Nigerian still held in captivity,” he stated.

Atiku stated kidnapping had compounded the hardship confronted by Nigerians fighting the rising value of dwelling.

“This tragedy comes as families are already struggling with the crushing cost of living. Nigerians are battling the rising cost of food, transport and other essentials; they should not also have to live in fear of being abducted in their homes or on the roads. Insecurity deepens hardship, disrupts livelihoods and leaves families bearing both emotional and financial burdens they can scarcely afford,” he stated.

The former vice chairman urged the federal government to maneuver past assurances and take sustained motion to rescue kidnapped individuals, shield susceptible communities and dismantle prison networks.

“The government must move beyond assurances and deliver an effective, sustained response: rescue those in captivity, protect vulnerable communities and dismantle the networks responsible for these crimes. Every Nigerian deserves to live, work and raise a family without the constant fear of violence,” he stated.

He expressed sympathy with the Zakka household and others whose family remained in captivity, stressing that the safety of residents should stay a precedence.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the Zakka family and all families enduring the trauma of kidnapping. The protection of every Nigerian life must remain an overriding responsibility of the government,” he added.

No a part of Millennium City is protected – Amnesty Int’l

Amnesty International Nigeria warned that no a part of Millennium City in Kaduna State is protected, with armed males working freely at any time of the day.

In a put up on X, the organisation stated assaults and kidnappings had elevated in and across the neighbourhood.

It stated, “Bandits and different gunmen function within the space at any time, with utter impunity. On 19 August, gunmen invaded Kyauta space and kidnapped over a dozen folks. Abductions happen in broad daylight.

“In some components of the world, individuals are organising vigilantes to defend themselves whereas others are abandoning their properties and transferring out of the world to security.

“No a part of Millennium City Kaduna is protected now.  People reside perpetually in worry, all the time bracing for the subsequent assault or abduction — or each. Some residents need to droop the schooling of their kids.

“Incessant killings, abductions and the stunning failure of the authorities to end them and bring suspected perpetrators to justice have been and continue to be a threat to the right to life in Kaduna State.”

Police arrest 12 suspects, get better AK-47 rifles

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Police Command has arrested 12 folks, together with eight suspected kidnappers and 4 alleged informants, throughout safety operations in Millennium City and Maraban Rido.

The command additionally recovered AK-47 rifles in the course of the operations performed in collaboration with different safety companies to deal with kidnapping and different prison actions within the affected areas.

In a press release on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, stated the arrests adopted intensified clearance operations, focused raids and patrols in response to current safety challenges within the areas.

He recognized the suspected kidnappers as Dauda Murna, Usman Abdullahi, Abubakar Sulaiman, Saleh Abdullahi, Usman Muhammed, Mathias Moses, Makama John and Tafarki Audu.

The 4 suspected informants have been recognized as Shuaibu Sabiu, Audu Makama, Simon Moses and Amadu Mathew.

Hassan stated preliminary investigations indicated that two of the suspects allegedly confessed to leaking details about police operations to prison parts.

He stated the alleged disclosure of safety actions and operations undermined efforts to fight crime and endangered the lives of safety personnel and residents.

The police spokesperson added that investigations have been ongoing to find out the extent of the suspects’ involvement, determine different accomplices and prosecute these discovered culpable.

He additionally disclosed that the Kaduna State Government had launched three extra armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to the police command to strengthen its operational capability in Millennium City and surrounding communities.

The Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, additionally urged residents to stay vigilant and report suspicious actions to the closest police station, noting that Millennium City was surrounded by forested areas on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis.

The assertion added that the commissioner had ordered the instant deployment of extra tactical personnel, operational autos and different safety sources to the affected communities to strengthen surveillance, enhance response instances and forestall additional crimes.

Rabiu appealed to residents to stay calm and cooperate with safety companies by offering credible and well timed info to assist deal with kidnapping and different prison actions.