A security team made up of police officers and soldiers has saved 76 persons from the Gulbala neighborhood of Kaduna state’s Giwa Local Government Area’s Funtua-Zaria Road.
They were freed on Friday after the Police Divisional Headquarters in Giwa got a report that numerous bandits with high-tech weapons had blocked the route in an attempt to kidnap innocent commuters.
This information was made public in a statement released on Monday by DSP Mohammed Jalige, the public relations officer for the State Police Command.
He claims that the police and military were summoned to the scene right away to clear the road roadblock, apprehend the armed criminals, and free any victims they might have kidnapped.
He said that upon arriving at the scene, a Ford open truck with the registration number APP 667 XG was discovered, and evidence gathered suggested that the bandits had forced many of the vehicle’s occupants off the road.
According to DSP Jalige, the bandits were found in the forest during an emergency rescue effort by the operatives, and as a result of pressure from the security agents, they gave up their evil plan.
“Thorough combing of the forest over several hours by the crack operatives succeeded in the rescue of a large number of victims totalling Seventy-Six (76) comprising males 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 different destinations when they were intercepted by the marauders,” he said.
Jalige also said security operatives were 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.
He said the Commissioner of Police, Yekini Ayoku noted that the important breakthrough was actualized through strong inter-service coordination and collaboration emplaced in the State.
He assured that this will continue to be strengthened between and among all the agencies to extricate the public space from the enemies.
