Police rescue kidnap victims, foil cattle rustling attack in Katsina

The Katsina State Police Command has rescued two kidnapped women unhurt in Kankia Local Government Area and foiled an attempted cattle rustling attack in Charanchi LGA.

The command's spokesman, ASP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Katsina.

He said the first incident occurred on July 11 at about 11:45 a.m. when armed bandits riding three motorcycles reportedly attacked Jauga settlement in Sabon Gida village, Kankia LGA, and abducted two women.

According to the statement, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Kankia immediately mobilised operatives to the scene, where they engaged the attackers in a gun battle.

The police said the bandits fled into a nearby forest with suspected gunshot wounds after being overpowered, abandoning their captives.

The rescued victims were identified as 20-year-old Rukayya Yahaya and 22-year-old Sahura Abdulhadi. Both victims were rescued unharmed.

In a separate operation on Monday, the command also thwarted an attempted cattle rustling attack in Majen Waya village, Charanchi Local Government Area.

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The police said armed bandits stormed the community at about 10:00 a.m. with the intention of rustling cattle, but a patrol team deployed by the DPO responded swiftly and engaged the attackers in a gun duel.

The statement said the suspects fled into the bush with suspected gunshot wounds, while no lives were lost and no cattle were rustled during the incident.

It added that normalcy had been restored in the area, while tactical patrols had been intensified to track down the fleeing suspects.

The Commissioner of Police in Katsina State, Ali Umar Fage, commended the operatives for their prompt response and professionalism.

He reaffirmed the command's commitment to protecting lives and property and urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to support security operations.