Police kill 2 bandits, rescue 20 victims kidnapped along Kaduna-Zaria highway

The Kaduna State Police Command have rescued a total of 20 victims kidnapped along the Kaduna-Zaria Road.

The rescued victims includes eight passengers abducted on Wednesday afternoon along Kaduna-Zaria highway, three workers of Airtel Communications Company abducted on Tuesday, and nine others kidnapped on January 14 when bandits attacked the convoy of the Emir of Potiskum.

The Command’s spokesperson DSP Yakubu Abubakar Sabo, who confirmed the development on Thursday, said that the Airtel workers Henry Agim, Kamal Raman and Segun Adejimoh, were abducted in Maidaro village, Giwa Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday but the police were alerted by a good Samaritan.

“After a fierce gun duel, we successfully rescued all the three workers unhurt. While on manhunt of the fleeing bandits, our operatives also intercepted nine other captives who were passengers of the Morcopolo luxurious bus that was attacked along Kaduna-Zaria Road on January 14, alongside the convoy of the Emir of Potiskum at Foundation village” Sabo said.

“The victims are identified as; Abdulhafiz Wakil, Abdul Wasiu Jimmoh, Mujittaba, Hajara Usman, Emmanuela Dimka, Dahiru Isa and three others who were debriefed by the Commissioner of Police and supported to be reunited with their respective families. The Commissioner of Police, Umar Muri sincerely appreciates the cooperation of the local communities.”

Two of the victims had earlier paid ransom but were not released until their rescue by the Police.

The police said that in the Wednesday’s attack, two of the bandits were shot dead and all the eight abducted passengers rescued. The victims were travelling to Abuja from Kano when their Sharon vehicle was forced to stop by the bandits.

He said the police responded swiftly after receiving information from the DPO in Mararraban Jos at about 3 pm that bandits had blocked the Kaduna-Zaria highway and abducted eight persons.

“On receipt of the information, the command mobilised operatives and some Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to the area, engaged the attackers, gunning down two of the bandits and rescued all the eight victims unhurt, while many other bandits escaped with bullet wounds,” he said.

He identified the passengers rescued as Aisha Umar, Samira Ibrahim Dakata, Safiya Idris, Hauwa Aliyu, Aisha Yakubu, Ma’aru Adam, Safiya Audu and Yahaya Bello, all of Kano State.

“The latest success followed the eleven (11) victims rescued on the 21st and 22nd of January, 2020 at Maidaro and Kaduna-Zaria axis respectively in addition to the nine (9) victims of the same incident who were intercepted by our operatives while on Man-Hunt Operation of the fleeing bandits within the Giwa axis. All the rescued victims have been debriefed by the Commissioner of Police CP Umar M. Muri and were supported to reunite with their respective families” said the PRO.