Oct 15, 2026

ONSA Team Frees Kaduna Couple and Baby After Nine Days of Terror

By Afolabi Olaiya Idowu in news

👁️ loading views...

After nine agonising days in the hands of armed bandits, a young couple and their infant daughter have been brought home safely.

A tactical team from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) secured the release of Ahmed Abubakar Zakka, his wife and their six-month-old baby, Fatima, on Thursday.

The family is currently receiving medical care at a security medical facility after their ordeal.

The nightmare began late on the night of 6 October 2026. At about 11:30 p.m., gunmen stormed Alrahus Estate in Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Residents later described how the attackers moved from house to house, breaking into homes in search of victims. Among those taken were Zakka, his wife and their baby girl. A pregnant woman was also abducted in the same raid.

What followed shocked the nation. A short video emerged showing Zakka holding his crying daughter while an armed man pointed a gun at his head.

Speaking in a strained voice in Hausa, Zakka identified himself and made a desperate plea. His captors, he said, were demanding ₦300 million for their freedom. “Please, we are seeking assistance… in the name of God,” he begged.

Behind the footage lay a deeply personal story. Family members revealed that Zakka and his wife were both orphans.

They had been married for six years without a child before Fatima finally arrived six months earlier. For a couple who had waited so long for parenthood, the abduction of their firstborn turned a hard-won joy into unimaginable fear.

The video and the family’s background sparked widespread concern and urgent appeals for intervention. Communities in Kaduna, already weary of repeated kidnapping and banditry, pressed security agencies to act.

That action came on Thursday when the ONSA tactical team successfully secured the family’s release. Details of the operation remain limited, but the outcome is clear: after nine days of captivity, Zakka, his wife and little Fatima are free and under medical attention.

While the rescue has brought relief, it has also renewed calls for stronger, sustained efforts to protect residents across Kaduna State.

For one young family that waited years for a child and then faced the terror of losing her, the ordeal is finally over. Healing will take time, but for now, they are home.