How 5 daughters of ex-Zamfara AG regained freedom after 5 months in captivity

Five daughters of a former Accountant General (AG) of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abubakar Bello Furfuri, have regained freedom after they spent five months in captivity.

The girls were presented to Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 10, Bello Sani Deljan.

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Gov Matawalle commended the security men and urged them to put more effort into ending banditry in the state and elsewhere.

He noted that intelligence indicated that the girls were betrayed by informants who were likely members of their family or very close to their family.

He said, “Without informants, the bandits will be strongly incapacitated and will quickly be defeated.”

The girls were later taken to the hospital.

Reacting, Alhaji Furfuri said, “We had to pay a huge amount to secure their release. We are thankful to Almighty Allah for their safe release. We are also praying for the release of those still with armed men anywhere they are. It was really traumatic.”

Last June, bandits stormed the residence of the ex-AG at Furfuri community in Bungudu LGA and abducted nine members of his family, including two wives.

However, some of the captives were released after payment of a ransom. But the five girls were held onto.

Later, the bandits released a video showing the abducted girls and threatened to marry them or co-opt them into banditry if their ransom was not paid.