Kaduna Police have secured a major breakthrough after rescuing 75 kidnapped travellers, including men, women and children, from a cave in a mountainous area of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.
The Kaduna State Police Command has rescued 75 kidnapped travellers from a cave in a mountainous area of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the state.
The victims, comprising men, women and children, were abducted by armed men carrying AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons while travelling in commercial buses.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Friday in Kaduna.
According to Hassan, the incident occurred on Wednesday, August 19, at Folwaya Village, near Birnin Gwari, where the armed men reportedly intercepted the commercial vehicles and took the passengers into a nearby forest.
The victims were subsequently concealed in a cave within a mountainous area, according to the police.
The command received information about the abduction at about 5:30 p.m. from the Birnin Gwari branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). The timely information enabled the police to mobilise a response team to the area.
A crack team from the Birnin Gwari Area Command was immediately deployed to the location.
The police said the arrival of the operatives forced the abductors to flee, leaving the captives behind.
“On sighting the well-armed police operatives, the abductors fled, abandoning their captives, who were successfully rescued unharmed,” Hassan said.
The 75 victims were subsequently rescued without reported injuries, according to the command.
Commending the development, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, praised the Birnin Gwari NURTW branch for providing what he described as timely and vital information that facilitated the rescue operation.
Muhammad also commended the Birnin Gwari Area Commander and his personnel for their swift and professional response to the distress information.
The Commissioner urged residents across the state to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to the police and other security agencies.
He also cautioned citizens against resorting to self-help, warning that such actions could escalate insecurity and put innocent lives at risk.
The latest rescue highlights the importance of rapid information-sharing between local communities, transport operators and security agencies in responding to kidnapping incidents.
Birnin Gwari has remained one of the areas of Kaduna State affected by persistent security challenges, with its extensive forested terrain historically providing hideouts and movement corridors for armed groups.
The Kaduna Police Command assured residents that it would continue to strengthen intelligence-led policing, community engagement and rapid response operations aimed at protecting lives and property across the state.
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