Nathaniel Shaibu,
The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye says the Ministry has initiated plans to rehabilitate all five of the Al-Kadriyar sisters, recently rescued from kidnappers to ensure proper reintegration into the society.
Uju made the pledge on Monday in Abuja, during a visit to the rescued girls at the facility where they are undergoing medical treatment.
Recall that the Police had on Sunday confirmed the release of all 23 persons who were abducted on January 2, 2024, in the Zuma 1 area of Kawu, in the Bwari Area Council of Abuja.
The Police also confirmed that the rescued persons included the five sisters whose abduction had raised nationwide concerns, adding that they were rescued at about 11 pm on Saturday, and had since been reunited with their families.
In a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Ohaeri Joseph, on Monday, Ohanenye noted that the girls had been through a harrowing experience while pledging that her Ministry will closely monitor their recovery and that the rehabilitation would includes engaging a psychologist, citing the trauma experienced in the custody of their kidnappers.
Part of the statement read “Speaking further, she added that the Ministry will liaise with the management of the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) to ensure that one of the girls will undertake her one year national service with the Ministry of Women Affairs, and also solicited for the girls to be moved from their present schools to another safer environment which will not subject them to any form of vulnerability”
She also commended the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector-General of Police, for working with credible intelligence and coordinated collaboration, which led to the release of the girls while expressing the concern of President Bola Tinubu over the cases of kidnapping across the country, including the FCT.
“Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is deeply worried about this trend of kidnapping and is working assiduously towards addressing the situation. After this visit, I will update the President and First Lady about the condition of these girls”, she said.
Also speaking, the father of the girls, Mr. Al-Kadriyar Monsoor, thanked the Minister for her visit which has revived the girls and also thanked security agencies for their efforts which resulted in their release. He however urged the Federal Government to ensure that a stronger synergy exists among the various security agencies as part of measures to improve the nation’s security architecture.
“Bwari is bordered by 4 states, Plateau, Niger, Nasarawa and Kaduna and this makes the area porous to any form of invasion, government should improve on community-based intelligence and communication to make lives safer at the grass root level of our country”, he said.
The Minister also presented food beverages, soap, noodles and sanitary items to the girls as part of her Ministry’s preparatory plans towards their rehabilitation after leaving the facility.
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