Bandits flee after gun battle with police operatives on Katsina-Kankara highway; search continues for two missing victims.
Operatives of the Katsina State Police Command have foiled a kidnapping attempt and rescued nine passengers abducted by suspected bandits along the Katsina-Kankara Road.
Police spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, said the incident occurred on Friday at Tashar Kanya Village in Kankara Local Government Area when armed bandits blocked the highway and intercepted a commercial vehicle conveying 11 passengers from Dandume to Katsina.
According to him, upon receiving a distress call, the Divisional Police Officer of Kankara mobilised a joint team of operatives, including personnel of the Violent Crime Rescue Unit, to the scene.
The police team engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel, forcing them to flee into the bush and abandon several of their captives.
Nine victims were rescued unharmed during the operation, while two others, identified as Buhari Kabir and the driver, Aliyu “Maitakabari,” remain missing.
The command said efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining victims and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
Commending the operatives, the Commissioner of Police, Ali Fage, praised their bravery and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating kidnapping, banditry, and other criminal activities across the state.