A day old baby girl, 14 other women were reportedly released by armed bandits operating in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The victims were said to have been abducted from Mallamawa village in Jibia area of the state.
Speaking while receiving the victims, Governor Aminu Bello Masari said the victims were the last batch of the victims kidnapped and expected from the bandits following the peace dialogue initiative.
This was as he said that the next phase of the initiative would be disarmament of the repentant bandits which he and Governors of Zamfara and Maradi in Niger were working to actualise.
With the release of the women, a number of kidnap victims who were freed under the agreement reached in the initiative is put at over 70.
Murjanatu Isa is one of the 14 victims freed. She gave birth to the day old baby girl delivered in the forest a few hours before their release.
Isa said they were in the kidnappers’ captivity for 45 days and went through a miserable life. Earlier, Chairman, Jibia LGA, Haruna Musa said that with 14 women released put the number of kidnapped victims released in the area, Shinfida area at 29.
Musa lauded the peace dialogue initiative which he said has brought about relative peace in the area and state at large.