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From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Police Command yesterday said prompt police/military response successfully foiled kidnap attempt, which led to the rescue of 76 victims to safety along Funtua-Zaria road by Gulbala in Giwa Local Government Area of the state.
Public Relations Officer for the Command, DSP Muhammed Jalige, in a statement, yesterday, said the Police Divisional Headquarters in Giwa have, on November 18, around 11pm, received a report that a large number of bandits wielding sophisticated weapons blocked a section of the road to perpetrate their nefarious act.
“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 victim 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 had been 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 of this, the bandits were encountered and by the sheer force of fire power pressure mounted on them by the security operatives, they were left with no option than to abort their nefarious mission and take to flight with injuries.
“Thorough combing of the forest over several hours by the crack operatives succeeded in the rescue of a large number of victims totalling 76, comprising male and females of different ages. Preliminary investigation revealed that the victims, who were passengers on the truck, were travelling from Sabon Birni LGA of Sokoto State, en-route to different destinations, when they were intercepted by the marauders.
“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,” the statement read in part.
Jalige quoted the Commissioner of Police for the Command, Yekini Ayoku, to have noted that the feat was achieved through strong inter-service coordination and collaboration in Kaduna State. The police boss, however, assured that the synergy would continue to be strengthened between and among all the agencies, to extricate the public space from the enemies of our collective security.
