The Kaduna State Police has dismissed media reports on the alleged abduction of commuters along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway on Jan. 6 as misleading.
This was revealed in a statement issued on Tuesday in Kaduna by the command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan.
“To counter the misinformation flow, the Command wishes to set the record straight. There was a heavy gun duel along Kaduna-Abuja expressway between security operatives and armed bandits on Jan. 6, at 23:30 hours or thereabout,” stated ASP Mansir Hassan.
“The incident occurred when the armed bandits in large numbers attempted to cross the said expressway at Dogon Fili area heading towards Jere axis and were engaged in a fierce shootout by the well-alerted security agents who dislodged the hoodlums and ensured a lot of them only escaped but with gunshot wounds.
“The Police Command is calling on the public around that axis to be on the watch for any person or persons nursing suspected bullet injuries and report the same to the closest Police station or any security outfit.”
ASP Mansir Hassan revealed that, during the encounter, commuters plying the highway were caught in a crossfire, resulting in six persons sustaining varying degrees of bullet injuries. All injured persons were promptly rushed to the hospital for medical attention.
“It was an unfortunate isolated incident in a long time as the Kaduna-Abuja expressway has since been fortified for the use of commuters. Thus, the general public should disregard the misleading fear-inducing story.”
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ali Dabigi, urged journalists to always verify their stories with concerned security agencies before going to the press. “This will ensure that only the right and correct information is available to the public,” the command spokesman added.
(NAN)
