By Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
Seventy-five kidnapped victims, including men, women and children, have been rescued unharmed by operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were abducted on Tuesday, August 19, 2026, while travelling in commercial buses, according to a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Mansir Hassan, ANIPR.
Hassan said the command received credible information at about 5:30 p.m. from the Birnin Gwari branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) that some passengers had been abducted by unknown armed men wielding AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons at Folwaya Village, near Birnin Gwari.
“Upon receipt of the information, a crack team from the Birnin Gwari Area Command was immediately deployed to the location,” the statement said.
According to the police, the abductors had taken the victims into the forest and hidden them in a cave within a mountainous area.
The gunmen reportedly fled upon sighting the well-armed police officers, abandoning their captives, who were subsequently rescued without injury.
The Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, CP Rabiu Muhammad, PSC, mni, commended the Birnin Gwari branch of the NURTW for providing timely and vital information that led to the rescue of the victims.
He also praised the Area Commander, Birnin Gwari, and his officers for their swift and professional response.
CP Muhammad urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious movements or activities to the security agencies.
He further warned residents against taking the law into their own hands, noting that such actions could result in the loss of innocent lives.
The rescue comes amid renewed efforts by security agencies to combat kidnapping and banditry along Kaduna’s highways and in rural communities, particularly in Birnin Gwari, which has been a frequent target of attacks in recent years.
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