Nine victims abducted by kidnappers along the Katsina-Kankara highway have been rescued by operatives of the Katsina State Police Command, while efforts are ongoing to locate two others who remain missing.

Security operatives responded to a distress call and effected the rescue following a kidnapping incident that occurred on Friday at Tashar Kanya Village in Kankara Local Government Area of the state.

DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, the command’s spokesman, said in a statement that the incident occurred at about 2:30 pm when armed bandits blocked the Katsina–Kankara Road and intercepted a red commercial Volkswagen Golf III saloon car with registration number KMC 400 MK.

He said, “The vehicle, driven by a 40-year-old man identified as Aliyu, popularly known as Maitakabari, was conveying 11 passengers from Dandume to Katsina when the gunmen abducted all the occupants.”

Upon receiving the distress report, Aliyu said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Kankara immediately mobilised a team of operatives, including personnel from the Violent Crime Rescue Unit (VCRU), to the scene, where they reportedly engaged the bandits in a fierce gun duel, forcing them to abandon the victims and flee into surrounding bush due to the superior firepower and tactical manoeuvres of the police team.

During a subsequent search of the area, he said operatives successfully rescued nine victims unhurt. The rescued persons were identified as Abubakar Ibrahim, 28; Rakiya Ya’u, 30; Shamsiya Ahmad Mahamud, 18; Jumai Majarazu, 20; Salamatu Adamu, 30; Yusuf Halliru, 17; Harira Hamisu, 25; Umma Kabir, 17; and three-year-old Nusaiba Maharazu.

Aliyu stated that two persons, Buhari Kabir and the driver, Aliyu “Maitakabari”, are still missing, adding that a search-and-rescue operation is ongoing to ensure their safe recovery and the arrest of the fleeing suspects.

The Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, Ali Umar Fage, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating criminal activity across the state while commending the professionalism displayed by the operatives.

He assured residents that the police would continue to intensify efforts to rid Katsina State of criminal elements and urged members of the public to support security agencies with timely and credible information.

A road accident involving a Benue Links passenger bus has claimed the life of a woman after the vehicle reportedly plunged into a stream along the Ogiladzi–Abakwa Road in Adi-Etulo, Benue State.

The incident occurred on Friday evening between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at Ofyanghan, a community located along the Adi-Etulo axis, according to residents and travellers familiar with the area.

Sources disclosed that the bus was heading towards Jato-Aka when it veered off the road and crashed into a nearby stream. The circumstances surrounding the accident remain unclear.

Residents and passersby quickly mobilised to the scene and assisted in pulling passengers from the submerged vehicle. Despite the rescue efforts, a female passenger reportedly lost her life in the crash.

At the time of this report, officials had yet to release details regarding the total number of passengers aboard the bus, the identity of the deceased woman, or the factors that may have led to the accident.

Neither emergency services nor relevant government authorities had issued an official statement concerning the incident as of press time.

Efforts to obtain independent confirmation and additional details about the crash were still ongoing.

Meanwhile, relatives of passengers who may have travelled on the route have been advised to reach out to appropriate authorities and contact their loved ones as rescue and recovery operations continue.

Nigeria military of Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have neutralised two terrorists, rescued three kidnapped victims and recovered arms and other items during separate operations in Zurmi and Shinkafi Local Government Areas of Zamfara State.

This was made known in a statement by Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division Nigerian Army / Sector 2 Operation FANSAN YAMMA, on Saturday.

The military disclosed that the operations were carried out on June 12 as part of ongoing efforts to combat banditry and terrorism in the state.

According to the military, troops on a fighting patrol covering Birnin Saba, Yanbuki and Sabon Garin Daudawa in Zurmi LGA engaged a group of terrorists in Yanbuki District. During the exchange of fire, one terrorist was killed.

Items recovered from the scene included rifles, four magazines loaded with ammunition, two motorcycles, seven mobile phones, two MP3 players, a woodland camouflage trouser and an inner vest.

The troops later advanced to Sabon Garin Daudawa, where the terrorists reportedly abandoned their camp and fled before the soldiers arrived. The camp was subsequently cleared and destroyed.

In a separate operation along the Shinkafi-Moriki axis, troops ambushed suspected terrorists, killing one of them. Recovered items included an AK-47 rifle, five magazines, a Baofeng communication radio, two motorcycles and assorted charms.

The military also confirmed the rescue of three kidnapped victims during the operations. The victims are receiving care while efforts are being made to reunite them with their families.

The military reiterated its commitment to restoring peace and security in Zamfara State and the wider North-West region, urging members of the public to continue providing credible information to security agencies.