The Police Command in Zamfara says it has rescued 24 victims kidnapped by bandits in the Gurgurawa community in the Bungudu Local Government Area of the state.
Command spokesman Muhammad Shehu confirmed the development at a press conference in Gusau on Saturday.
Shehu said the victims, including a seven-month-old baby, were rescued after a fierce shootout between security officers and bandits.
“On February 18, 2022, around 11:00 p.m., police tactical officers attached to the 42nd PMF Gusau Squad, in Anti-Bandit Operations in the area, received a distress call that armed bandits in large numbers invaded the village and They kidnapped some members of the community.
“Upon receiving the information, the tactical operatives in collaboration with the vigilante in the area, sprung into action and mobilized to the scene for an extensive search and rescue operation.
photos of kidnapping victims
“Seeing the officers, the thugs engaged them in a serious shootout that lasted an hour,” he said.
Shehu said that the bandits abandoned the victims on the spot as a result of the security officers’ superior firepower.
He said that 10 of the 24 victims had been reunited with their families in the village and another 13 were in police custody before being handed over to their families.
photos of kidnapping victims
According to him, one of the victims is receiving treatment at the hospital, adding that Police Commissioner Ayuba Elkana praised the resistance of the operatives and asked them to keep up the pace.
“The commissioner assured members of the public of the police’s commitment to ending the persistent security challenges plaguing the state.” (YAYA)