Senator Remi Tinubu has expressed her joy and gratitude over the release of the Al-Kadriyar sisters, calling on Nigerians to intensify their prayers for the peace and security of the nation.
Remi said it is through prayers that the country will resolve the issue of insecurity that has plagued several regions, including the Federal Capital Territory.
In a tweet on X, the wife of Bola Tinubu said she rejoiced with the Al-Kadriyar family, friends, and Nigerians in general for the safe return of the sisters, who were freed on Saturday night.
“I rejoice with the Al-Kadriyar family, friends, and Nigerians in general for the safe return of the Al-Kadriyar sisters.
Prayer works, and I want to thank all Nigerians, especially mothers, for praying for the safe return of the Al-Kadriyar sisters. Let us, however, not relent in our prayers.
Let us intensify our prayers, as it is prayers that would bring us out of this conundrum we find ourselves as a nation.
I commend our security agencies for their efforts and urge them not to relent in combating insecurity in our nation.
God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” she wrote.
The Al-Kadriyar sisters, aged from the early teens to 23, were abducted from their home in Bwari, a suburb of Abuja, on January 2, along with their father, Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, who was later released to raise the ransom.
The kidnappers killed one of the sisters, Nabeeha, a final-year university student, as a warning and also killed the girls’ uncle and three police officers who tried to rescue them.
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The kidnapping of the sisters sparked outrage and sympathy across the country, with many Nigerians donating to a crowdfunding initiative to raise the ransom, which was set at 65m naira ($68,000; £53,000). However, the defence minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, advised people not to pay the ransom, saying it would only worsen the situation and encourage more kidnappings.
Kidnapping has become rife in Nigeria, with hundreds of people abducted in recent years, largely by criminal gangs who see it as an easy way to make money.
It has been particularly bad in the north-west of the country, where bandits operate with impunity. The insecurity has reached the capital, prompting Abuja’s police force to launch a special squad to tackle the kidnapping gangs.