The former Minister for Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, revealed on Sunday that a friend of his has stepped forward to contribute N50 million towards the release of the five remaining sisters who were abducted in Abuja.
The sisters, including a lady identified as Nabeeha, were kidnapped in their home on January 2, 2024, sparking a fundraising campaign on social media.
Expressing his stance on paying ransom, Pantami tweeted, “I am personally not in support of paying ransom to criminals. However, since it became clear that we lost our daughter Nabeeha yesterday, and the five remaining daughters have been threatened, a friend and a brother offered to pay the remaining 50 million Naira of the 60m immediately.”
The former minister conveyed the account details of the father of the abducted sisters for the contribution, emphasizing that any additional funds raised would be used for the treatment of the surviving daughters and other family members.
Pantami extended his gratitude, saying, “May the Almighty Allah reward the brother and friend with Jannatul Firdaus for the donation. May He also reward all those who contributed in any way with Jannatul Firdaus, too.”
The tragic incident unfolded on January 3, 2024, when Adamu_Asiya_, a cousin to the kidnapped sisters, reported the abduction on X, revealing the loss of an uncle during the kidnapping. Two days later, she shared the news of the father’s release with a ransom of N60 million placed on the lives of Najeebah and her sisters.
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Despite the efforts to raise the funds through the hashtag #Najeebaandhersisters, the kidnappers, giving a deadline, took a devastating turn. In the early hours of Saturday, Asiya announced on X that one of the sisters, Nabeeha, had been killed by the kidnappers after the ransom deadline passed.
As the nation mourns this heartbreaking incident, Pantami concluded his tweet with a plea for divine intervention, saying, “May the Almighty also help our security agencies to bring an end to these challenges. May Nigeria be a better place for all of us.”
