A couple abducted alongside their six-month-old daughter from their residence in Millennium City, Kaduna State, have appealed to security agencies to secure their release.
They made the appeal in a viral video, showing the husband, Ahmed Abubakar Zakka, holding their baby while his wife sat beside him, with a gun pointed at him by one of the kidnappers.
The duo were abducted on October 6, 2026, when bandits attacked Alrahus Estate in Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
The attackers reportedly stormed the estate at about 11:30 pm and went from house to house in search of victims. Zakka, his wife and their infant daughter were abducted after the gunmen broke into their residence.
Speaking in Hausa in the 40-second video, Zakka said his captors were demanding N300m ransom to release the family.
“My name is Ahmed Abubakar Zakka. I’m seeking assistance. I was abducted on Monday around 11:30 pm, myself, my wife and our daughter at Millennium City. Please, we are seeking assistance because they are demanding N300 million. In the name of God, we are seeking assistance,” he said.
The video showed Zakka holding the crying naked baby, while his wife’s voice could also be heard pleading for their lives.
The bandits also abducted a pregnant woman, whose husband, Abdulkadir Bello, was away in Abuja at the time of the incident.
Bello said his wife called him around 11:30 pm and informed him that some people were trying to force their way into their compound.
He said he tried contacting the police but could not get through before reaching out to the military, which deployed personnel to the area.
Bello later confirmed that the assailants eventually took his pregnant wife and contacted him for a ransom.
The latest incident has intensified concerns over repeated attacks and abductions in Millennium City and neighbouring communities on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis.
Barely five days before the attack, bandits reportedly killed a man identified as Sikiru and abducted his wife and son alongside six other people in the PW Babban Saura area. Sikiru’s wife, Hafsat, and their 14-year-old son, Abdulsalam, are still in captivity, while the bandits demanded a huge ransom.
‘Abducted couple had child 6 years after marriage’
A family member of Zakka, who pleaded not to be named, said the victims were both orphans who had been married for six years without a child before welcoming their six-month-old baby girl, Fatima, shown in the viral video.
“They were both orphans who lost their parents before they got married. They had been married for six years without a child before they were blessed with a baby girl, Fatima, six months ago,” he said.
The source said he grew up with Zakka in the same family house and that they had lived together during their teenage years. According to him, the victims relocated to the estate about a year ago.
“We grew up together in my family house and stayed together during our teenage years. We are pleading with the authorities to help secure their release unharmed,” he said.
Reacting to the video on Monday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called on security agencies to act swiftly to rescue Zakka, his wife, their baby and other Nigerians being held captive.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in a post on his Facebook page, described the video as a painful reminder of the insecurity threatening lives and tearing families apart across the country.
“No Nigerian should have to plead for their life or the safety of their family in the hands of criminals. The thought of an infant caught in this ordeal is especially heartbreaking.
“I urge the relevant security agencies to act swiftly and decisively to secure the safe release of Ahmed Zakka, his wife, their child and every other Nigerian still held in captivity,” he said.
Atiku said kidnapping had compounded the hardship faced by Nigerians struggling with the rising cost of living.
“This tragedy comes as families are already struggling with the crushing cost of living. Nigerians are battling the rising cost of food, transport and other essentials; they should not also have to live in fear of being abducted in their homes or on the roads. Insecurity deepens hardship, disrupts livelihoods and leaves families bearing both emotional and financial burdens they can scarcely afford,” he said.
The former vice president urged the government to move beyond assurances and take sustained action to rescue abducted persons, protect vulnerable communities and dismantle criminal networks.
“The government must move beyond assurances and deliver an effective, sustained response: rescue those in captivity, protect vulnerable communities and dismantle the networks responsible for these crimes. Every Nigerian deserves to live, work and raise a family without the constant fear of violence,” he said.
He expressed sympathy with the Zakka family and others whose relatives remained in captivity, stressing that the protection of citizens must remain a priority.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the Zakka family and all families enduring the trauma of kidnapping. The protection of every Nigerian life must remain an overriding responsibility of the government,” he added.
No part of Millennium City is safe – Amnesty Int’l
Amnesty International Nigeria warned that no part of Millennium City in Kaduna State is safe, with armed men operating freely at any time of the day.
In a post on X, the organisation said attacks and kidnappings had increased in and around the neighbourhood.
It said, “Bandits and other gunmen operate in the area at any time, with utter impunity. On 19 August, gunmen invaded Kyauta area and abducted over a dozen people. Abductions take place in broad daylight.
“In some parts of the area, people are setting up vigilantes to defend themselves while others are abandoning their homes and moving out of the area to safety.
“No part of Millennium City Kaduna is safe now. People live perpetually in fear, always bracing for the next attack or abduction — or both. Some residents have to suspend the education of their children.
“Incessant killings, abductions and the stunning failure of the authorities to end them and bring suspected perpetrators to justice have been and continue to be a threat to the right to life in Kaduna State.”
Police arrest 12 suspects, recover AK-47 rifles
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Police Command has arrested 12 people, including eight suspected kidnappers and four alleged informants, during security operations in Millennium City and Maraban Rido.
The command also recovered AK-47 rifles during the operations conducted in collaboration with other security agencies to tackle kidnapping and other criminal activities in the affected areas.
In a statement on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the arrests followed intensified clearance operations, targeted raids and patrols in response to recent security challenges in the areas.
He identified the suspected kidnappers as Dauda Murna, Usman Abdullahi, Abubakar Sulaiman, Saleh Abdullahi, Usman Muhammed, Mathias Moses, Makama John and Tafarki Audu.
The four suspected informants were identified as Shuaibu Sabiu, Audu Makama, Simon Moses and Amadu Mathew.
Hassan said preliminary investigations indicated that two of the suspects allegedly confessed to leaking information about police operations to criminal elements.
He said the alleged disclosure of security movements and operations undermined efforts to combat crime and endangered the lives of security personnel and residents.
The police spokesperson added that investigations were ongoing to determine the extent of the suspects’ involvement, identify other accomplices and prosecute those found culpable.
He also disclosed that the Kaduna State Government had released three additional armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to the police command to strengthen its operational capacity in Millennium City and surrounding communities.
The Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, also urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements to the nearest police station, noting that Millennium City was surrounded by forested areas on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis.
The statement added that the commissioner had ordered the immediate deployment of additional tactical personnel, operational vehicles and other security resources to the affected communities to strengthen surveillance, improve response times and prevent further crimes.
Rabiu appealed to residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and timely information to help tackle kidnapping and other criminal activities.