Slain abducted teenager’s father calls for NBA’s intervention

Mr Oladosu Ariyo, the lawyer-father of slain 13-year-old teenager, Folashade, who was killed by kidnappers on Monday, has confirmed the death of his daughter, calling on the Nigeria Bar Association, under the leadership of President Maikyau, to intervene in the rescue of the rest of his family.

PUNCH Metro had earlier reported that kidnappers had killed three of the 11 residents of the Sagwari Estate Layout in Dutsen-Alhaji area of the Federal Capital Territory, where the kidnappers abducted Folasade, alongside three of her siblings and her mother.

The kidnappers had invaded the Sagwari community on Sunday, January 7, at about 7:30 pm, dressed as military men, and kidnapped 11 residents, including a mother and her four children, and a receptionist and barman from a nearby hotel.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the corpse of the late Folashade was dumped alongside three others, including that of Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, around a former military checkpoint behind Idah junction along the Bwari-Jere SCC Road in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was identified as the daughter of Ekiti State-born Chief Legal Officer of the National Universities Commission.

Meanwhile, the kidnappers, who cited delays in paying the demanded N60m ransom for each of the victims, have now reportedly increased their demand for the families of the remaining seven victims to pay N100m ransom, for each one of the victims.

Ariyo's appeal was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a user known as @kcuzoka, who tweeted that the message was copied from a lawyers' WhatsApp group. In the shared post, on Monday night, Ariyo was said to have stated that he was a lawyer, and narrated that the kidnappers killed his 13-year-old daughter, despite having raised N7m of the earlier demanded N60m through the donation of friends and family, which the kidnappers had refused to collect.

He added that the kidnappers were threatening to kill his wife and his three remaining children, who were minors and were still in captivity, and lamented the failure of the government to end the insecurity in the country.

“Dear seniors & colleagues, most respectfully, I'm Oladosu Folorunso Ariyo, a lawyer working in Abuja. On Sunday evening, the 7th of January 2024, around 7:30 pm, a band of kidnappers dressed in full military camon invaded my home located at Sagwari Layout Estate in Dutse, Abuja. They kidnapped my wife (who is also a lawyer) & our four children. The kidnappers called and demanded 60-million-naira ransom, out of which through generous donations of friends and family, I've been able to raise the sum of several millions naira which they have vehemently refused to collect.

As of today, they've killed my first born Michelle Ariyo (age 13) and dumped her corpse on Kaduna Road while threatening to kill my three remaining children (who are all minors) and wife, who are still in captivity. Please and please sir, I urgently need the intervention of NBA. When will these kidnappings end, when will the government pretend to be serious about this insecurity in our country? God help us all”, he wrote.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of the FCT Public Complaints Commission, Ezekiel Dalhatu, while addressing a press conference on Monday, called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the FCT, due to the rising insecurity, kidnappings, and incessant attacks on the residents.

He also called on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to suspend ongoing projects, to address the issue, as it involves the lives of residents, while also calling for the set-up of a civilian joint task force as an alternative means to combat insecurity in the rural areas.

Dalhatu described the state of insecurity in the FCT as a threat to the peace, and business, adding that the perpetrators were aware of the strategies used by the country's armed forces, and suggested a change in strategy, to tackle kidnapping and banditry.

“Though we recognise the efforts of our security agencies cut across all levels for the commitment and show of force, we also admit the operational inadequacies these agencies are faced with, ranging from manpower, equipment and irregular payments of operational allowances”, he said.

When our correspondent visited the compound of the Ariyos on Monday afternoon, the security man said the father was not around, while barring the gate and preventing entry into the compound to speak to neighbours. Our correspondent however noted that the community had begun the construction of a fence at the base of the mountain.

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh, when contacted, declined to speak on the issue, quoting security reasons. Similarly, efforts to reach the Director of Security in the FCT Administration, Adamu Gwary, proved abortive, as he did not respond to phone calls.