•Rescue 11 kidnap victims
With determination to rid Zamfara State of all activities of bandits and other criminal elements, the state police command, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, has succeeded in repelling attack on Yarkala Village, in Rawayya District of Bungudu Local Government Area, by suspected armed bandits.
Making this known in a statement issued on Saturday, April 10, 2021, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Mohammed Shehu, said that police operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder, deployed to Rawayya-Yarkala axis on Thursday, April 8, were alerted about the presence of a large number of armed bandits who were moving to Yarkala Village, on an attack mission.
Shehu disclosed that when the operatives got the distress call, they mobilised themselves to dislodge the bandits.
“As a result, the bandits retreated into the forest with possible gunshot wounds.
“In the course of mopping up the scene, an AK-47 rifle with breech number 1983NI2328 and a magazine containing 10 rounds of live ammunition, belonging to one of the fleeing bandits, were recovered and are now in police custody,” the PPRO said.
In a related development, on April 9, the police command, in collaboration with the the Ministry for Security and Home Affairs secured the unconditional release of 11 victims abducted by a kidnap gang, and taken to a forest near Gobirawan Chali in Maru Local Government Area.
Ten out of the 11 kidnapped victims were natives of Kyakyaka, Tungar Haki and Gidan Ango villages of Gusau Local Government Area, while the 11th victim is from Kaduna state.
The PPRO revealed that the release of the kidnapped victims was part of the ongoing peace process enunciated by Governor Mohammed Bello Matawalle of the state.
“All the rescued victims have been debriefed by the police and later handed over to the Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, who is expected to reunite them with their families,” he stated.
He added that an investigation regarding the abduction of the victims had commenced, and the outcome would be made public.
