From Chioma Okezie-Okeh
The Police Divisional headquarters, Giwa in Kaduna State, in conjunction with the military personnel, have rescued over 76 victims who were abducted by bandits in a vehicle convening them to their destination -a Ford open truck with registration number APP667 XG .
They were kidnapped when the bandits blocked a section of the Funtua /Zaria Road at Gulbala Area of Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Mr Yekini Ayoku told Saturday Sun that the incident happened on November 18, 2022 and that the 76 victims rescued were passengers on the truck. As gathered, they were travelling from Sabon Birni Local Government in Sokoto State en route to different destinations when they were intercepted by the bandits.
Mr Ayoku said that it was when information got to him of the incident that he immediately sent police operatives who were on patrol to join the men of the Police Division Giwa and the military personnel in the area with clear directives to dis- mantle the road blockade, route out the armed miscreants and rescue all the victims that have been abducted.
He said; “My tactical team with the military combed the forest for several hours and they succeeded in rescuing 76 victims comprising males and females of different ages.
“The victims were passengers in the truck travelling from Sabon Birni LGA Sokoto State, en route different destinations while the bandits escaped from the scene of crime.
“We have actualised this giant achievement through the vehicle of strong inter-service coordination and collaboration in place in Kaduna State and we are going to strengthen this relationship,” he said.
He said in two weeks, the com- mand had an encounter with the bandits within Giwa Local Govern- ment Area where they neutralised some of the bandits while some escaped with bullet wounds into the forest.
He said the police recovered some heavy sophisticated weapons allegedly used by the bandits to terrorise the people of Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
“We have started combing all their hideouts to make sure they don’t operate any longer,” Ayoku told Saturday Sun.
Ayoku said that another incident happened when the police operatives arrested another set of bandits and recovered five motorcycles from the fleeing miscreants after a hot engagement. He said the incident happened along the Galadimawa Tumburku Road in Giwa Local Government Area of the state.
“It was when we received information on November 17, 2022 that some armed bandits on motor- cycles were sighted along Galadimawa Tumburku Road in the same Giwa Local Government that we moved in. The bandits caved in to the superior fire power and professional tactical manoeuvre of the police operatives as they scampered with varying degrees of bullets wounds.
“Later, one of the bandits identified as Tasiu Malam from Madugu Village was apprehended and the police recovered from him five of their operational motorcycles,” CP Ayoku said.
One of the victims, Abubakar Ibrahim told Saturday Sun that: “I hail from Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State. We were travelling from Sokoto State to Kaduna State when the bandits blocked the road and marched about 76 of us passengers into the forest. We were in the forest for three hours until we heard gunshots from police operatives and military personnel which prompted the bandits to abandon us. We were rescued by the police and military personnel. None of us was hurt.”
Meanwhile, the police commissioner, Mr Ayoku, has charged his officers to always be at their professional best while tackling crime and criminality as they would continue to be commensurately motivated and rewarded for their exploits.
He said the arrested suspects would soon be charged to court.
