Troops rescue 16 kidnapped victims in Kaduna

From: Femi  Oyelola, Kaduna

Troops of Operation Forest Sanity have rescued 16 victims in operations spanning Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Road and  location in Igabi Local  Government Areas of Kaduna State.

This was contained in a statement by the State Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs Samuel Aruwan and made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday.

The statement stated that the troops responded to a distress call along the Udawa-Manini axis of the Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Road.

The statement further stated that  troops arrived to foil the attack, rescuing 15 persons in the process. Some of the rescued persons who sustained injuries were rushed to hospital for treatment.

The statement  added that troops of Operation Forest Sanity responded to a distress call from Gonan Doctor village, Igabi LGA, and laid an ambush at a likely crossing point in the Maraban Huda village.

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

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

“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 neighbouring 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.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai received the reports with gratitude, and expressed satisfaction at the breakthroughs recorded by the security forces. The Governor commended the troops for the successful rescues, and prayed for the quick recovery of injured victims,” the  statement said.