Police rescue 39 abductees in Zamfara, recover weapons from suspects

The Zamfara police command says it has rescued 39 persons abducted from Bungudu and Maru LGAs of the state.

Ayuba Elkanah, commissioner of police in the state, disclosed this on Monday at a media briefing held at the command’s headquarters in Gusau, the Zamfara capital.

The commissioner said the abducted persons included eight males, 15 females and 16 children, adding that they were rescued on Sunday following a clearance operation by security operatives.

“On 10th April, 2022, police tactical operatives on clearance operations rescued 39 kidnap victims, who were abducted in March and early April 2022 at various villages and locations in Bungudu and Maru LGAs,” he said.

“The rescued victims include eight males, 15 females — including nursing mothers — and 16 children. The achievement was a result of the ongoing clearance operation by the police and military at Dabar Magaji camp located at Kadanya forest, stretching between Kaura Namoda and Maradun LGAs.

“Victims have been medically treated by the joint police and state government medical teams and later debriefed by the police detectives and will be handed over to the officials of the two LGAs to reunite them with their families.”

Elkanah also said troops attached to operation Hadarin Daji arrested four members of the proscribed Yansakai group — identified as Bilyaminu Musa, Sufiyanu Ibrahim, Zayyanau Abdullahi and Sharif Abubakar.

He said weapons including five locally-fabricated guns, three operational motorcycles, three cutlasses, one axe and one stick were recovered from the suspects.

“On 10th April, 2022, at about 1630hrs, troops from sector 1 of operation Hadarin Daji operating at Dogon Kade axis in Kaura Namoda LGA, handed over the above-named suspects to Zamfara state police command for discreet investigation on alleged invasion of Dogon Kade market where marketers, including Fulanis, were attacked and harassed,” he said.

“This type of situation aggravates reprisal attack from bandits. Recall that the state government had already outlawed the activities of Yansakai across the state.

“Discreet investigation is in progress and suspects will be charged to court for prosecution.”