• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Police, army foil kidnap attempt, rescue 76 victims in Kaduna

Police quell fresh Plateau communal clash, heighten security in hotspots

The police in Kaduna State say they have, in collaboration with military personnel, foiled an attempt to kidnap 76 victims along the Funtua-Zaria road.

Muhammad Jalige, spokesman of the police in Kaduna State, in a statement issued on Monday, said the incident occurred at about 11 pm on Friday.

According to him, the kidnap attempt was made by a large number of bandits wielding sophisticated weapons, who blocked a section of Funtua-Zaria Road at Gulbala, in the Giwa local government area.

Jalige, however, said a combined team of police and military mobilised to the location and thwarted the intention of the gunmen who already herded some passengers into the bush.

“On reaching the location, a Ford truck with registration number – APP 667 XG – was found. We gathered that passengers on the truck were moved off the road by the bandits.

Read also: Gunmen abduct 3 in Kwara, demand N100m ransom

“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 fire power by the security operatives, they were left with no option than to abort their nefarious mission and take to flight with injuries.

“A thorough search in the forest by the crack operatives succeeded in rescuing 76 victims, comprising male and females of different ages,” he added.

Jalige said preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were passengers on the truck travelling from Sabon Birni LGA of Sokoto State to different destinations, when they were abducted.

“Operatives are still on operation within the general area in search of the main truck driver and two other passengers who are yet to be accounted for,” he added.

Yekini Ayoku, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Kaduna command, described the development as a demonstration of the imperative for strong inter-service collaboration.