The Nigeria Police Force has foiled separate kidnapping and cattle rustling attempts in Katsina State, rescuing 11 abducted passengers and recovering 25 stolen cows.
The command said the incidents occurred on Sunday night in Kankara and Malumfashi local government areas of the state.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, said operatives attached to Kankara Division responded to a distress call at about 8:45 p.m. that armed bandits had blocked the Sheme-Kankara Road near Kakumi Village in Kankara LGA.
According to the statement, the bandits intercepted an unregistered Toyota Hiace bus conveying 11 passengers to Kano and abducted all the occupants.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) reportedly led a team of operatives to the scene where they engaged the attackers in a gun duel.
“The bandits, overwhelmed by superior firepower, abandoned the victims and fled into the bush,” the statement said.
Police said all the abducted passengers were rescued unhurt, while security operatives had intensified bush-combing operations to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
In a related development, the command said suspected armed bandits attacked Badawa Village in Malumfashi LGA at about 8:50 p.m. on the same day and rustled 25 cows.
The statement said the DPO in Malumfashi mobilised patrol teams to the area and intercepted the suspects along a suspected escape route on the outskirts of the village.
Following an exchange of gunfire, the suspects reportedly abandoned the cattle and escaped.
Police said all 25 cows were recovered and returned to their owners, adding that security had been reinforced in the area through sustained patrols and surveillance.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ali Umar Fage, commended the operatives for their swift response and professionalism.
He assured residents that the command would sustain offensive operations against banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities across the state.
The police also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to support security operations.
