32 KIDNAP VICTIMS REGAIN FREEDOM AS POLICE CRUSH BANDIT OPERATION IN SOKOTO
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By:Tajudeen Aminat
Following a joint security operation involving police tactical units and military personnel, the Sokoto State Police Command has rescued 32 kidnapped victims and disrupted a major bandit operation in Rabah Local Government Area of the state.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufai, the command said the operation was carried out on Tuesday at Maikujera village, a remote community bordering Zamfara State, following intelligence received by the Divisional Police Officer in Rabah.
According to the statement, the DPO was informed that a large number of armed bandits had invaded the community, moving with rustled livestock and several abducted residents while firing sporadically.
The police said the DPO immediately deployed tactical teams, including the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the Violent Crime Reaction Unit (VCRU), while coordinating with the Nigerian Army’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) to cut off the attackers’ escape routes.
The security forces engaged the bandits in a gun battle, forcing them to abandon the kidnapped victims and stolen animals before fleeing into the surrounding forest.
Following the encounter, operatives searched the area and rescued all 32 victims.
Rufai said the rescued persons comprised six adult males and 26 females, mostly children, adding that they had been taken to a secure location where they were receiving medical and psychological assistance before being reunited with their families.
The command, however, disclosed that four people were killed by the bandits during the initial attack before the arrival of security personnel.
Sokoto State Commissioner of Police, Hayatu Shaffa, expressed condolences to the families of the victims and assured residents that efforts were ongoing to apprehend those responsible.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to tackling banditry and kidnapping across the state, while urging residents to remain alert and report suspicious activities to security agencies.
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