Security forces dismantle bandits’ roadblock, rescue travellers

The Kaduna State Police Command has announced the dismantling of a roadblock mounted by bandits on the Funtua-Zaria road at Gulbala, in the Giwa Local Government Area of the state, while rescuing no fewer than 76 abducted travellers.

The Command’s spokesman, Mohammed Jalige, in a statement on Monday, said the breakthrough followed a combined effort of the police and the military.

According to Jalige, troops are still on operation within the general area in search of the main truck driver and two other passengers who are yet to be accounted for.

The police spokesman said, “On the 18th November 2022 at about 2300hrs, report was received at the Police Divisional Headquarters, Giwa, that a large number of bandits wielding sophisticated weapons blocked a section of Funtua-Zaria Road at Gulbala area of Giwa Local Government Area to consummate their evil mission of abducting innocent commuters.

“On the strength of the report, a combined team of Police and Military were immediately mobilised to the location with clear directives to dismantle the road blockade, root out the armed miscreants, and rescue any victim they may have abducted.

Advertisement

“On reaching the location, a Ford open truck with Reg. No. APP 667 XG was found and information garnered had it that a large number of passengers on the truck had been moved off the road by the bandits.

“This development engendered an immediate search and rescue operation by the operatives into the adjourning forest. In the process of this, the bandits were encountered and by the sheer force of firepower pressure mounted on them by the security operatives, they were left with no option but to abort their nefarious mission and take to flight with injuries.

“Thorough combing of the forest over several hours by the crack operatives succeeded in the rescue of a large number of victims totalling Seventy Six (76) comprising male and females of different ages.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the victims, who were passengers in the truck, were travelling from the Sabon Birni LGA of Sokoto State en-route different destinations when they were intercepted by the marauders. Operatives are still on operation within the general area in search of the main truck driver and two other passengers who are yet to be accounted for.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Yekini Ayoku, was quoted to have commended the inter-service coordination and collaboration of security forces in the state to flush out the miscreants.

He was said to have assured that such synergy with sister security agencies would to be sustained in view of efforts to rid the state of bandits and other criminal elements.

“The Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, Yekini A. Ayoku, while noting this important breakthrough that was actualised through the vehicle of strong inter-service coordination and collaboration emplaced in Kaduna State, has assured that this will continue to be strengthened between and among all the agencies to extricate the public space from the enemies of our collective security,” the statement added.