The Commander, 17 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Katsina State, Brig. Gen. Babatunde Omopariola, yesterday said doors were still open for bandits and violent extremists to surrender.
He spoke through a representative while handing over nine rescued kidnap victims to the Katsina State government at the 17 Brigade Headquarters in Katsina.
Represented by the brigade’s Chief of Staff, Colonel Yakubu Nwandiscas, he said the Nigerian Army applied a non-kenetic approach in rescuing the victims.
He advised anyone involved in kidnapping to desist or else face the consequences.
The victims , five men and two nursing mothers along with their two babies, were said to have been kidnapped from different areas in Katsina by bandits and taken to Kaduna State.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Katsina State governor on victims of banditry and IDPs, Sa’idu Danja, commended all those who participated in the rescue mission.
He recalled that a combined team of troops and other security agents had on Thursday rescued eleven victims in Batsari LGA and on Friday, rescued 19 victims.
“These are some of the successes you have been recording as a result of your synergy. His Excellency the Governor, has been receiving cooperation from all angles of the security agencies and will give you all the necessary support and cooperation to achieve your desired result,” Danja stated.
One of the rescued victims, a 45 years old father of 15 children, Inusa Salisu, narrated that he spent 90 days in the hands of the bandits after they captured him while working on his farmland located five kilometres away from Sabuwa LGA of the state.
“The bandits, seven in their numbers, riding on five motorcycles, chased me and my grownup son.
“Within the 90 days period of our stay, we were eating animal feeds. They killed five people in my presence including my 20-year-old son. I didn’t touch water talk less of taking a bath within the period,” he explained.
