Police: Students rescued in Zamfara after 60 days in captivity

The Zamfara police command says it has rescued 24 persons, including four students kidnapped while writing their Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) in Shinkafi LGA of the state.

Ayuba Elkanah, commissioner of police in the state, said this on Tuesday while handing over the rescued victims to the state government in Gusau, the state capital.

Elkanah said the police operatives deployed to different locations in the state succeeded in rescuing the kidnapped victims.

He said among those rescued were four students of the Government Secondary School in Birnin Yero, and one other student of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda.

“On November 22, at about 1900hrs, police tactical operatives deployed on Shinkafi axis, while on search and rescue operations, with regard to abduction of the students and other victims, acted on intelligence and rescued the students, along with eight others,” he said.

“The victims, who spent 60 days in captivity, have now been rescued unconditionally.”

He said the rescued victims would undergo medical checks and police debriefing before they are re-united with their families.

The police commissioner also said the tactical team deployed on Gusau-Tsafe-Funtua road, on November 22, rescued 11 travellers abducted by bandits.

Elkanah said all the rescued travellers had been debriefed and reunited with their families.

“I want to use this opportunity to warn members of the public, especially travellers and commercial drivers, that the order of the state government restricting movement of travellers into the state at night time is still in force,” he said.

“Considering the time and period in which the bandits block the road and abduct innocent people, the command, under my watch, will arrest and prosecute any person or group of persons found violating this order.”