From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
Barely a week after kidnappers abducted over 300 students of Government Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, suspected bandits on Saturday grabbed another set of 84 students at Funtua.
But, according to the Katsina State Police Command, a combined team of policemen and vigilante group succeeded in rescuing the victims.
A press statement on Sunday morning by the Police Public Relations Officer, Gambo isah, explained that, ‘on December 19, 2020, at about 2200 hrs, a distress call was received by DPO Dandume, that some Islamiyya students of Hizburrahim Islamiyya, Mahuta village, Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State, numbering about 80 while on their way back from Maulud occasion celebrated at Unguwan Alkasim village, Dandume to Mahuta village, were accosted by bandits who had already kidnapped four persons and rustled 12 cows from Danbaure village, Funtua Local Government Area, trying to escape into the forest.
‘On receipt of the report, the DPO led Operation Puff Adder, Sharan Daji and the vigilance group to the area and engaged the bandits in a fierce gun duel.
‘Subsequently, the teams succeeded in dislodging the bandits and rescued all the 84 kidnapped victims and recovered the 12 rustled cows.
‘Search parties are still combing the area with a view to arresting the injured bandits and recovery of their dead bodies.’