Police and army conducted a joint operation to rescue kidnapped girls from a forest in northern Nigeria on Saturday night.
The girls were taken from their home in Abuja earlier this month, and one of them was killed by the kidnappers.
Witnesses said the girls’ uncle and three police officers were also killed during the incident.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom for their release, but the statement made no mention of one being paid.
The six sisters, aged from the early teens to 23, were taken hostage alongside their father, Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, on January 2 at the family home in Bwari, a suburb of Abuja.
The kidnappers released Mansoor on the condition he raise a large ransom, but his 21-year-old daughter, Nabeeha, a final year university student, was then killed as a warning, according to a family member who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity.
After the kidnapping, Nigerian police and military forces launched a search operation to rescue the girls.
The operation took place near the Kajuru forest in Kaduna State, where the kidnappers were believed to be hiding.
The rescue operation was successful, and the girls were reunited with their family following the rescue.
Kidnapping for ransom is a major problem in Nigeria, with criminal gangs targeting highways, apartments, and even schools.
The rescue of the girls has brought hope to many Nigerians who have been affected by the rising insecurity in the country.
Nigerian law bans paying ransom to kidnappers, but many families have little faith in the authorities and feel they have no choice.
