KATSINA POLICE RESCUE NINE ABDUCTEES, TWO STILL MISSING

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By: Fasasi Hammad

Nine people abducted by suspected bandits along the Katsina–Kankara highway have been rescued by operatives of the Katsina State Police Command, while efforts continue to locate two others still missing.

The victims were rescued following a kidnapping incident that occurred on Friday at Tashar Kanya village in Kankara Local Government Area.

According to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, the attack took place around 2:30 p.m. when armed bandits blocked the Katsina–Kankara Road and intercepted a red Volkswagen Golf III commercial vehicle with registration number KMC 400 MK.

He explained that the vehicle, driven by a 40-year-old man identified as Aliyu, popularly known as Maitakabari, was transporting 11 passengers from Dandume to Katsina when the gunmen abducted everyone on board.

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Following a distress call, the Divisional Police Officer in Kankara swiftly mobilised a team of operatives, including personnel from the Violent Crime Rescue Unit (VCRU), to the scene.

The officers engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle, forcing them to flee into nearby bushes and abandon most of their captives due to the superior firepower and tactical response of the police team.

A subsequent search operation led to the safe rescue of nine victims without injuries. Those rescued were identified as Abubakar Ibrahim, Rakiya Ya’u, Shamsiya Ahmad Mahamud, Jumai Majarazu, Salamatu Adamu, Yusuf Halliru, Harira Hamisu, Umma Kabir and three-year-old Nusaiba Maharazu.

Aliyu disclosed that the driver, Aliyu “Maitakabari,” and another victim, Buhari Kabir, remain unaccounted for, adding that search-and-rescue efforts are ongoing to secure their release and apprehend the fleeing suspects.

The Commissioner of Police in Katsina State, Ali Umar Fage, commended the operatives for their professionalism and reaffirmed the command’s determination to tackle criminal activities across the state.

He also urged residents to support security agencies by providing timely and credible information that could aid ongoing security operations.