The Katsina State Police Command has announced the rescue of 30 abducted kidnap victims.
The rescue followed raids on terrorist hideouts and foiled kidnapping attempts in several local government areas, including Dutsinma, Safana, Jibia, and Malumfashi.
One Ak-47 rifle was also recovered during the operations.
In a statement issued Thursday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, said seven of the victims were found after searching terrorist hideouts between Dutsinma and Safana on August 17, while three were freed after a kidnapping attempt on Jibian-Maje in Jibia local government.
He stated that 20 people who were kidnapped on August 20, 2024, in Yaba village, Malumfashi Local Government, were also rescued following a gunfight between police officers and the marauding hoodlums.
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The statement read in parts: “In a swift and decisive rescue operation, the Katsina State Police Command raided a bandits’ hideout situated between Dutsinma and Safana LGAs today, August 21st, 2024, rescuing seven hostages kidnapped from two villages in Dutsinma LGA on August 17th, 2024, and recovering one AK47 rifle.
“The intelligence-led operation, conducted by a combined team of police operatives attached to Dutsinma Police Divisional Headquarters and members of the Vigilante, led by the DPO, CSP Bello Abdullahi Gusau, was carried out at about 1330 hrs.
“The rescued hostages, who were kidnapped from Farar Kasa and Shanga villages in Dutsinma LGA, were successfully rescued unharmed by the team and rushed to the nearest hospital for medical attention. Also, one AK47 rifle was recovered during the course of the operation. The investigation is still ongoing with a view to arresting the fleeing suspects.”
It added: “Similarly, date at about 0005 hours, a distress call was received at the Jibia Divisional Police Headquarters that armed bandits in their numbers, armed with dangerous weapons such as the Ak 47 rifle, shooting sporadically, concurrently attacked Jibian Maje, Nasarawa, and Lankwasau villages of Jibia LGA.
“Upon receipt of the report, the DPO Jibia mobilised teams of operatives and responded to the scene where the teams gallantly engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel. The teams successfully foiled all three attacks and rescued three kidnapped victims. However, the victims were rushed to the hospital for medical attention as they sustained minor injuries due to the attack.
“Additionally, on August 20th, 2024, at about 1958 hrs, a distress call was received at the Malumfashi Divisional Headquarters that armed bandits in their numbers, wielding dangerous weapons, attacked Yaba village, Malumfashi LGA, kidnapped 20 persons, and rustled five cows. Upon receipt of the report, promptly, DPO Malumfashi marshalled a team of operatives and responded to the scene, where they intercepted the hoodlums at the outskirts of the village while trying to escape with their victims.
“The team valorously engaged the hoodlums in a gun and succeeded in foiling the attack, rescuing all the kidnapped victims and recovering the rustled animals as the hoodlums escaped the scene with various degrees of bullet wounds.”
He did, however, state that command operatives were stepping up their efforts to apprehend the fleeing terrorists.
