Mistura Olasinde and her two daughters, Hauwa and Fatima, residents of Starwood Estate in Galadimawa, Abuja, were abducted on Friday, September 8, 2023, while driving home. Mistura’s husband, Surajudeen Olasinde, who is a staff member of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, provided details of the incident.
According to Surajudeen Olasinde, the abduction occurred around 7 pm as his wife and children were traveling from Garki to Starwood Estate. The incident took place in Kabusa Garden Estate, where the road conditions were poor. Kidnappers emerged from a nearby bush, fired shots to intimidate bystanders, and forcibly took Mistura and her daughters into the bush.
Residents quickly alerted the Galadimawa Divisional Police Officer, Jerry Cole, who led a team of policemen and vigilante operatives in a search operation. Despite their efforts, the search in the bushes was unsuccessful. The Department of State Services also became involved, tracking the kidnappers’ movements to a forest in Kuje.
The kidnappers initially demanded a ₦100 million ransom, which was later reduced to ₦50 million and then ₦10 million. Eventually, they inquired about the family’s available funds. The family explained that they couldn’t meet the demands and had already sold some valuables, including the attacked Toyota Highlander, to raise the ransom.
With the kidnappers’ consent, the family raised ₦2.84 million and delivered it to the kidnappers on Saturday night. Mistura and her daughters were later released, albeit injured, and taken to a hospital for medical treatment. The family is also dealing with psychological trauma.
Residents of Starwood Estate have expressed concern about the frequent kidnapping incidents in the area and called on authorities, including President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, to improve security.
The Galadimawa Divisional Police Officer, Jerry Cole, referred inquiries to the FCT Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, who stated that they had not been briefed on the incident but promised to provide updates once they received information.