The Nigerian Police says it has rescued 76 kidnap victims in Giwa LGA of Kaduna state.
Spokesperson of the Kaduna state police command, Mohammed Jalige, said the victims were passengers from Sabon Birni LGA of Sokoto State.
Giving an account of the incident, Jalige said the passengers were travelling to different destinations.
“On November 18, at about 2300hrs, the Divisional Police Headquarters in Giwa received reports that a large number of bandits blocked a section of Funtua-Zaria Road at Gulbala area of Giwa LGA and abducted many commuters,” the police spokesperson said.
“On the strength of the report, a combined team of police and military were immediately mobilised to the location with clear directives to dismantle the road blockade, root out the armed miscreants and rescue any victims they may have abducted.
“On reaching the location, a Ford open truck with Reg. No. APP 667 XG, was found and information garnered had it that a large number of passengers on the truck were moved off the road by the bandits.
“This development engendered an immediate search and rescue operation by the operatives into the adjourning forest. In the process, the bandits were encountered and by the sheer force of firepower, pressure mounted on them by the security operatives.”
The police spokesperson said the bandits were forced to “abort their nefarious mission and take to flight with injuries”.
He said the 76 passengers abducted by the bandits were rescued after security operatives combed the forest for several hours.
Jalige said security operatives are still searching for the driver of the truck and two other missing passengers.
Yekini Ayoku, Kaduna police commissioner, was quoted as saying the rescue effort was achieved through the collaboration of the security agencies.
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