Written by Wole Mosadomi
Minna — The police have announced that ten suspected kidnap victims were saved by a joint security squad after a gunfight with robbers in Niger State.
The event happened on Sunday near the Bangi-Kotonkoro road in Mai-Laka hamlet in the state’s Mariga Local Government Area.
The spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, Superintendent of Police Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the event and called the operation a significant step forward in the state’s continuous fight against abduction and banditry.
He said the joint security squad had a gunfight with suspected kidnappers after intercepting them at around 8 a.m. on February 1.
“A joint security team intercepted and engaged some suspected kidnappers and bandits in a gun duel at Mai-Laka village along Bangi–Kotonkoro road on Sunday, February 1st, at about 8 a.m.,” stated Abiodun.
He clarified that the accused left some of their prisoners behind when they fled the site during the gunfight.
“Approximately ten victims were rescued as a result of the gunfight, as the abductors fled after abandoning some of the kidnapped victims,” he stated.
The police claim that the rescued victims were kidnapped from the villages of Yauri, Dusai, Dogon-Fadama, and Yabawa.
Several of the criminals’ motorcycles were found during the raid, Abiodun continued.
He claimed that in order to fully remove criminal elements and guarantee the protection of the inhabitants of the impacted towns, clearance and surveillance activities had been stepped up in the region.
The police spokeswoman continued, “The security team has maintained monitoring and clearance operations to rid the area of bandits and safeguard lives and property.”
