By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
Police operatives in Zamfara State have rescued 97 persons including pregnant and nursing mothers from captivity in Shinkafi and Tsafe forests of the state.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ayuba El-Kana, made the disclosure on Tuesday at a news conference in Gusau.
El-Kana said the rescue was the outcome of the extensive pressure mounted on bandits as a result of the ongoing military operation around the camp of a notorious bandit known as Bello Turji.
Turji’s camp covers Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Birnin Magaji local government areas.
Stonix News recalls that on Monday January 3, Police Tactical Operatives deployed at Shinkafi axis received an intelligence report that some kidnapped victims were seen stranded in the bush.
The police operatives in collaboration, with genuine repentant bandits and vigilantes, swung into action and rescued 68 victims from the forests.
The commissioner added that the victims were in captivity for over three months.
He said they included: 33 male adults, seven male children, three female children, and 25 women comprising pregnant and nursing mothers.
The rescued victims were abducted from Magarya, Maradun, Gusau local government areas of Zamfara, and Sabon Birni Local Government Area in Sokoto State.
El-Kana also disclosed that on the same Monday, January 3, police operatives deployed in Tsafe axis acted on a tip-off and stormed Kunchin Kalgo forest in Tsafe LGA, and rescued 29 kidnapped victims with no strings attached.
He said that the victims were in captivity for over 60 days and were captured from three villages.
The CP said the villages were Adarawa, Gana, and Bayawuri in Rijiya District of Gusau LGA, adding that 25 females of both pregnant and nursing mothers as well as four male children were rescued.
The victims were said to have been abducted by a Bandits’ kingpin, Ado Aleru.
El-Kana said that all the rescued victims were currently receiving medical treatment from the joint medical teams of the state government and the police.
He said they would be debriefed and handed over to the state government before reuniting with their families.
