Several women abducted by terrorists from communities in Niger State’s Rafi and Shiroro Local Government Areas in February 2024 have been rescued after more than a year in captivity—some returning with advanced pregnancies and babies reportedly fathered by their captors.
The women, among a group of about 25 individuals kidnapped along the Pandogari–Allawa road while returning from a market, were freed last week during a police operation that intercepted two commercial buses conveying them to a new location. Sources say the women had been held in the Palu-Waya forest in Shiroro LGA before being moved, possibly to Kebbi State or Kaiji Forest in Borgu LGA.
A turning point came when the convoy reached Kagara in Rafi LGA. One of the women reportedly requested a bathroom break and used the opportunity to raise an alarm. The act led to the intervention of security agents, the arrest of the bus driver—believed to be complicit—and the rescue of the abductees.
Police sources confirmed the women are currently in protective custody at the Niger State Police Command headquarters in Minna. A cache of ammunition was also reportedly recovered from one of their bags. In a startling revelation, police also confirmed that one of the rescued women has been identified as a missing Chibok schoolgirl abducted over a decade ago by Boko Haram.
"One of the Chibok girls was found among them, and a magazine with live ammunition was recovered from a bag," said the source.
Locals in Allawa described the development as bittersweet. A community member said, “We are happy that the remaining four of the 25 women kidnapped on February 14 have finally been rescued. But it is heartbreaking that some of them are now either pregnant or carrying babies—products of forced marriages with their captors.”
Further complicating the rescue, some of the women reportedly expressed reluctance to return home. Family members and community leaders have raised concerns about the psychological impact of their captivity, revealing that some victims appear to have developed emotional attachments to their abductors.
“A few of the women have said they would prefer to return to the terrorists,” one relative said. “One even claimed to have memorised their phone numbers and insisted she still wanted to rejoin them despite being in police custody.”
Another resident confirmed this disturbing trend: “One woman with a newborn said she could still contact the terrorists directly. She is from Allawa and was married before her abduction, yet she says she has fallen in love with her captors.”
According to community sources, all the women had been married before they were abducted. The gang responsible for their abduction is believed to be the Sadiku faction, which has operated from the Allawa forest for the past five years.
As the women undergo security debriefings, calls have intensified for comprehensive psychological support and deradicalisation programmes.
“These women need urgent mental health evaluation and rehabilitation,” a local leader said. “Without it, they may never be able to reintegrate into society.”
Authorities continue investigations into the abduction ring, while efforts are ongoing to trace and dismantle the Sadiku gang's hideouts in the region.
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