Former Minister of Environment, Laurentia Mallam and her husband, who were kidnapped by gunmen along Kaduna-Bwari highway on Monday, have regained their freedom.

Aliyu Usman, spokesman of Kaduna State Police Command, confirmed the development to journalists, saying that the couple were rescued at about 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

He however declined to give more details on how they were rescued, saying only that both of them were in stable condition.

It was not clear whether a ransom was paid, as the kidnappers were reported to have demanded a N10 million ransom.

According to the police spokesman, the former Minister and her husband were abducted along Bwari-Jere road on their way to Kaduna from Abuja.

Kidnapping has been on the increase in different parts of the country, especially at this period that the nation is facing its worst economic situation in decades.

Last week, the wife of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, was kidnapped in Edo State, though she was later rescued less than 24 hours later.