Fauziyah Muhammed, a 19-year-old student from Abubakar Audu University, Ayangba, Kogi State, who was recently kidnapped, has been rescued by the Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The 400-level English Education student, who had been abducted on Sunday morning, was found wandering naked in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
Fauziyah, who was allegedly kidnapped between 9 am and 10 am on Sunday, was reportedly hypnotized by her captors and later dumped in Ilorin. The NSCDC stated that she was discovered by residents of the Ajegunle-Isale community on Egbejila Road in Ilorin on Monday morning.
Dr. Umar Muhammed, the NSCDC Commandant for Kwara, confirmed the discovery, explaining that Fauziyah was found disoriented and incoherent, likely due to the trauma she experienced during her captivity. According to Dr. Muhammed, the young woman was initially found naked, but some Good Samaritans in the area provided her with clothing before alerting the NSCDC.
The authorities then took her into custody, where she was offered support and comfort. "We have briefed Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq about her situation, and the governor, in his fatherly capacity, has promised to assist us with fuel to return her to Kogi State tomorrow," Dr. Muhammed added.
In an interview, Fauziyah explained that she had no recollection of how she ended up in Kwara State but remembered dropping one of the books she was carrying before losing consciousness. "One of the books I carried dropped, and as I bent down to pick it up, I lost consciousness," she said. The NSCDC also revealed plans to release Fauziyah to a man named Mallam Salihu Aliu, who claims to be her uncle and has been authorised by the family to take custody of her.
In a separate development, the NSCDC paraded one Abu Usman Soja, a suspected informant for a group of kidnappers involved in the abduction of a woman and her two children in Ajase-Ipo, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. The kidnappers, who remain at large, abducted the woman and her children on November 7, 2024, demanding a ransom of ₦50 million.
The ransom was later reduced to ₦15 million. While the mother was eventually released, the kidnappers are still holding the two children in a remote forest.