Police rescue 21 kidnapped Islamiyya School pupils in Zamfara

The Zamfara State Police Command has rescued 21 Almajiri Islamiyya children who were kidnapped by bandits along Kucheri village under Tsafe Local Government Area alongside their teacher and the bus driver conveying them to school.

 

Parading the children at the Police headquarters Gusau Saturday, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ayuba Elkana, said on receiving the distress call, the Police Tactical Operatives in collaboration with Military, promptly responded and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel.

 

He said: “On the 31st December, 2021, a distress call was received from Kucheri Village Via Tsafe LGA that, Armed Bandits in their large numbers blocked Gusau – Funtua Federal Highway at Kucheri axis, and abducted unspecified number of commuters in 5 different vehicles. Police Tactical Operatives in Conjunction with the Military promptly responded to the distress call and moved to the scene, where they engaged the hoodlums in a serious gun battle.

 

“The Police Operatives Succeeded in rescuing twenty one kidnapped children including two (2) females who were coming from Rini Village in Bakura LGA to Katsina State for Almajiri Islamiyya School along with their Scholar named Lawali Ibrahim who and the driver of their Hummer bus vehicle were among the victims that are currently in captivity.”

 

CP Elkana further called on the general public especially drivers and passengers to desist from night travel, stressing that, the night time is the period that is mostly used by the bandits to block roads and kidnap commuters in the state. In a related development, men of the Kaduna Police Command, also rescued nine victims and arrested two as they stormed bandits’ camp in Igabi LGA.

 

Spokesman of the command, ASP Mohammed Jalige in a statement said, the operation followed an intelligence gathered by the command on the hideout of bandits in the area.

 

He said: “On the 31st December, 2021 at about 0200hrs the Operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command in collaboration with the Force Intelligence Bureau and Special Tactical Squad of the Force Headquarters, Abuja and some local vigilantes stormed a notorious bandits’ camp belonging to one Isiya located in the forest of Sabon Birni village of Igabi LGA of Kaduna state.

 

“This is in response to a gathered intelligence that some victims were held hostage for ransom in the said forest.

 

“The “mission was cautiously and successfully executed which resulted in one bandit (being) neutralized, while many others escaped with varying degrees of bullet wounds.

 

“However two suspects namely; (1) Rabe Baushe ‘M’ and (2) Badamasi Usman ‘M’ were arrested and taken into custody for further investigation. Meanwhile nine (9) victims were equally rescued in the operation.

 

He also said, “Eight persons among the victims have since reunited with their families after undergoing a medical checkup at the Police medical facility and were profiled.”