Operatives of the Katsina State Police Command have rescued nine victims abducted by suspected armed bandits along the Katsina-Kankara highway, while efforts are ongoing to locate two others who remain missing.
The victims were rescued following a swift response by security operatives to a kidnapping incident that occurred on Friday at Tashar Kanya Village in Kankara Local Government Area of the state.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, the incident occurred at about 2:30 p.m. when armed bandits blocked the Katsina-Kankara Road and intercepted a red commercial Volkswagen Golf III saloon car with registration number KMC 400 MK.
The vehicle, driven by a 40-year-old man identified as Aliyu, popularly known as “Maitakabari,” was conveying 11 passengers from Dandume to Katsina when the gunmen abducted all the occupants.
Aliyu said that upon receiving a distress report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Kankara immediately mobilised a team of police operatives, including personnel from the Violent Crime Rescue Unit (VCRU), to the scene.
The operatives reportedly engaged the bandits in a fierce gun duel, forcing them to abandon the victims and flee into the surrounding bush due to the superior firepower and tactical manoeuvres of the police team.
“While combing the area, the operatives successfully rescued nine victims unhurt,” the police spokesman said.
The rescued victims were identified as Abubakar Ibrahim, 28; Rakkiya Ya’u, 30; Shamsiya Ahmad Mahamud, 18; Jumai Majarazu, 20; Salamatu Adamu, 30; Yusuf Halliru, 17; Harira Hamisu, 25; Umma Kabir, 17; and three-year-old Nusaiba Maharazu.
However, two persons — Buhari Kabir and the driver, Aliyu “Maitakabari” — are still missing.
The Command said a search-and-rescue operation is ongoing to ensure the safe recovery of the remaining victims and the arrest of the fleeing suspects.
Commending the gallantry and professionalism displayed by the operatives, the Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Ali Umar Fage, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating criminal activities across the state.
He assured residents that the police would continue to intensify efforts to rid Katsina State of criminal elements and urged members of the public to support security agencies with timely and credible information.
