Police Rescue 32 Kidnap Victims, Foil Bandit Attack

By Ichie Times

The Sokoto State Police Command has rescued 32 kidnapped victims and disrupted a major bandit operation in Rabah Local Government Area following a coordinated operation involving police tactical teams and the Nigerian Army.

The operation took place on Tuesday in Maikujera village, a remote community close to the Zamfara border, after security authorities received a distress call reporting the invasion of the area by armed bandits.

According to the police, the attackers were moving through the community with rustled livestock and abducted residents while firing weapons sporadically.

The Divisional Police Officer in Rabah reportedly mobilised the Anti Kidnapping Unit and Violent Crime Reaction Unit, while also coordinating with the Nigerian Army’s Forward Operating Base to cut off possible escape routes.

Security operatives engaged the attackers in a gun battle, forcing them to abandon the kidnapped victims and stolen livestock before escaping into the surrounding forest.

A subsequent search of the area led to the rescue of all 32 victims, comprising six adult males and 26 females, most of them children.

The police said the rescued victims were taken to a secure location where they are receiving medical and psychological support before being reunited with their families.

However, the command disclosed that four people were killed during the initial attack before security forces arrived.

The Commissioner of Police in Sokoto State, CP Hayatu Shaffa, condoled with the families of those killed and assured residents that security agencies were pursuing the fleeing attackers.

Shaffa reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling kidnapping and banditry across the state and urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements to security agencies.

The latest operation comes amid continuing security efforts targeting armed groups operating across parts of Sokoto and neighbouring Zamfara State.