The Kaduna State Police Command said it foiled a kidnap attempt on Friday, November 18, 2022 and rescued 76 victims in Giwa local government area of the State.
The Command said on the fateful day, it received a report from the Police Divisional Headquarters in Giwa LGA that a large number of bandits wielding sophisticated weapons blocked a section of Funtua-Zaria Road at Gulbala area of Giwa LGA, to perfect their evil mission of abducting innocent commuters.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Muhammad Jalige, in a statement issued Monday, said on the strength of the report, a combined team of Police and Military personnel was immediately mobilised to the location with clear directives to dismantle the road blockade, rout 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 garthered had it that a large number of passengers on the truck have 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 large number of victims totalling Seventy Six (76) comprising male and females of different ages,” the PPRO said.
ASP Jalige added that preliminary investigation revealed that the victims, who were passengers on the truck, were travelling from Sabon Birni LGA of Sokoto State en-route different destinations when they were intercepted by the marauders.
He further said that operatives were still on operation within the general area in search of the main truck driver and two other passengers who were yet to be accounted for.
He noted that the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, CP Yekini A. Ayoku, while noting this important breakthrough that was actualised through the vehicle of strong inter-service coordination and collaboration in place in Kaduna State, has assured that this will continue to be strengthened between and among all the agencies to extricate the public space from the enemies of our collective security.