The Katsina State Police Command has thwarted two separate kidnap attempts in the Kankara and Faskari Local Government Areas (LGAs), rescuing a total of five victims from the clutches of armed bandits.
The Command’s spokesperson, ASP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the first incident occurred on January 14th at around 1:45 AM when a group of armed bandits stormed Baguma village in Kankara LGA and abducted two residents – Garba Musa, 50, and Bala Disco, 54.
Responding swiftly to the distress call, a team led by Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Hassan A. Musa of Kankara engaged the bandits in a fierce gunfight and subsequently rescued the abducted duo unharmed.
Four days later, on January 18th around 12:30 pm, Abdullahi Idris, 50, a driver from Dala LGA, Kano State, was transporting three passengers – Jamilu Dahiru (30), Machido Abubakar (25), and Aisha Muhammad (55) – from Zamfara State to Kano when they were ambushed by another group of armed bandits along the Sheme-Kankara road.
According to ASP Sadiq, the bandits attempted to kidnap all four occupants of the vehicle but were met with a swift response from a team led by the DPO of Faskari divisional headquarters.
In a similar display of bravery, the officers engaged the bandits in a gunfight, securing the release of all the hostages unscathed.
Commending the exceptional courage and gallantry of his officers, CP Aliyu Abubakar Musa, Commissioner of Police for Katsina State, urged the public to continue providing timely information to the police and other security agencies to facilitate swift and decisive action against criminal activities in the state.
He reiterated the command’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents in Katsina.