Zamfara twins, Hassana and Hussaina, who were kidnapped a month ago have been released, reports say.
They were released unhurt, according to Daily Trust, which also reported that N15million ransom was paid before their release.
The money was raised through crowd funding, family contributions and borrowing. The largest contribution came from Senator Kabir Marafa.
The hashtag #ZamfaraTwins was used on Twitter to call the attention of the authorities to the abduction of the girls.
On Wednesday, the abductors of the twin sisters threatened to kill one of the girls if payment of their ransom was not made on time.
The twins, Hassana and Hussaina, were kidnapped last month in Dauran town, while distributing the invitation cards of their wedding.
A family member, Ibrahim Abubakar, who spoke with the kidnappers and the twins on phone on Thursday, said the kidnappers had reduced the ransom to N15million.
In a viral audio clip, one of the twin sisters, Hussaina was heard sobbing, complaining about maltreatment and appealing for help.
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“I am battling with headache. We are in dire situation, they are about to kill us,” Hussaina said.
“The beat us every morning. Please help rescue us. Even yesterday, they slaughtered some people in our presence.
“We are starving. Please get contributions even from the general public,” they said.
But one of the abductor’s interjected, saying the call would be the last he would make with the twins as they failed to deliver the ransom.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
