The violent abduction of five young Nigerian sisters near Abuja has sparked a national outcry and raised fears about insecurity in the country's capital.
The sisters were seized at the start of the year by armed men who burst into their home just 15 miles (25 kilometres) from Abuja city centre, a family member told AFP.
She said the attackers killed one of the sisters, 21-year-old Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, when a ransom deadline passed. Negotiations were ongoing for the release of the others.
Kidnapping for ransom has been a major problem in Nigeria with criminal gangs targ eting highways, apartments and even snatching pupils from schools.
President's condemnation
After public outrage over the sisters' case this week, President Bola Tinubu condemned what he called the "recent spate of kidnappings and bandit attacks".
First Lady Remi Tinubu also voiced concern, while politicians and the media questioned the government's strategy after gangs targeted parts of the heavily-guarded Federal Capital Territory, which is as big as some states but run by a minister rather than a governor.
Some experts believe the country's economic crisis is driving a rise in kidnappings as desperate Nigerians turn to crime for income.
The minister for the Federal Capital Territory has urged residents not to panic and promised to find a solution.
Ransom payment ban
Nigerian law bans paying ransom to kidnappers, but many families have little faith in the authorities and feel they have no choice.
Tinubu came to office last year vowing to tackle Nigeria's insecurity, including an insurgency in the northeast, criminal gangs in the northwest and a flareup of intercommunal violence in central states.
But critics say the kidnapping crisis is out of control.
The president said he plans to address the root causes of the violence through education, but did not outline a precise strategy.
Abductions became a major problem in Nigeria in the 2000s and are now a lucrative industry.
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