Troops Rescue 16 Kidnap Victims In 2 Kaduna LGAs, Kill 3 Bandits

Kaduna State government has disclosed that troops of Operation Forest Sanity have rescued 16 citizens in operations spanning Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Road and a location in Igabi local government area of the State.

Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, in a statement on Tuesday, said according to the security feedback from security agencies, the troops responded to a distress call along the Udawa-Manini axis of the Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Road.

The statement explained further that the troops foiled the attack, rescuing 15 persons in the process, adding that some of the rescued persons who sustained injuries were rushed to hospital for treatment.

Aruwan said troops of Operation Forest Sanity also responded to a distress call from Gonan Doctor village, Igabi LGA, and laid ambush at a likely crossing point in Maraban Huda village.

“Contact was made with the bandits, and following a firefight, one bandit was neutralized.

“A kidnap victim was rescued, though injured by the bandits, and was rushed to the Jaji Cantonment Hospital for treatment. One motorcycle was recovered,” he stated

He added that, “Furthermore, in response to credible intelligence of bandits’ movement around an interstate boundary area, troops of Operation Forest Sanity set up ambush positions around Mangoro general area around Chikun-Birnin Gwari LGA, on the boundary with Shiroro LGA of neighboring Niger State.

“The troops engaged the approaching bandits, and neutralized two. The troops also recovered one AK47 rifle, one pump action gun, one Improvised Explosive Device, one Baofeng Radio, and 10 motorcycles.”

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, who expressed satisfaction at the breakthroughs recorded by the security forces, commended the troops for the successful rescue operations, and prayed for the quick recovery of the injured victims.