Follow Us on Google
The Sokoto State Police Command has rescued 32 kidnapped victims and foiled a major bandit operation in Rabah Local Government Area following a coordinated security operation involving police tactical units and the Nigerian Army.
In a statement, the command disclosed that the operation was launched after the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Rabah received a distress call at about 8:30 a.m. reporting the presence of a large group of armed bandits in Maikujera Village, a remote community bordering Zamfara State.
The police said the attackers were reportedly moving with rustled livestock and dozens of kidnapped victims while firing sporadically at residents.
Acting on the intelligence, the DPO deployed the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, the Violent Crime Reaction Unit (VCRU), and coordinated with the nearby Nigerian Army Forward Operating Base (FOB), with security personnel establishing blocking positions along suspected escape routes.
The combined security teams engaged the bandits in a prolonged gun battle.
Overwhelmed by the superior firepower and tactical manoeuvres of the security forces, the criminals abandoned their captives and rustled livestock before fleeing into the surrounding forest.
Other News
A subsequent search-and-rescue operation led to the safe recovery of all 32 victims, comprising six adult males and 26 females, the majority of them children.
The victims have been evacuated to a secure location where they are receiving medical care and psychological support ahead of their reunion with their families.
The police disclosed that despite the successful rescue, four persons were killed by the bandits during the initial attack before security operatives arrived.
The Sokoto State Commissioner of Police, CP Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, expressed condolences to the bereaved families and assured residents that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling banditry and kidnapping across the state and urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies.
