By Olayemi Esan
Operatives of Kaduna State Police Command have rescued nine kidnap victims in Sabon Birnin, Birnin village of Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mohammed Jalige, confirmed the rescue operation to Channels Television on Saturday.
He explained that the operation was conducted by operatives of the command in collaboration with personnel of the Force Intelligence Bureau and Special Tactical Squad of the Force Headquarters.
Jalige said the security operatives stormed a notorious bandits’ camp on Friday following intelligence that some victims were held hostage for ransom in the said forest.
The camp, he stated, belongs to one Isiya located in the forest of Sabon Birni village.
The command’s spokesman said the mission was cautiously and successfully executed and resulted in the killing of one of the bandits while several others escaped with varying degrees of bullet wounds.
He disclosed that two suspects, Rabe Baushe and Badamasi Usman, were arrested and taken into custody for further investigation.
Banditry has been rife in Kaduna and other states of the northwest region despite assurances by the government and security agencies in tackling the issue.
Two weeks ago, bandits killed a member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Rilwanu Gadagau on their way to their hideout in the forest.
The lawmaker was among many people the bandits kidnapped along the Kaduna – Zaria road.
According to a security report presented by the Kaduna State Government, at least 888 people were killed in violent attacks by bandits in various parts of the state from January to October 2021.
The report also showed that a total number of 343 people were killed by bandits between July and September last year, while 2,553 people were kidnapped by bandits in various communities across the state from January to September 2021.
