- Army rescues 18 female kidnapped victims in Katsina
The bandits who kidnapped a bride and over 60 women accompanying her to her matrimonial home in Damari, Sabuwa LGA of Katsina State, last Thursday have released a video showing the captives.
A video that has gained significant attention on social media shows the group of bandits making threats, demanding ransom from the captor’s relatives, or else they will force the already-married bride to marry someone else.
In the video, the leader of the gang, dressed in a police uniform, stated that there were 63 captives.
They also threatened to sell off the other wedding guests if their demands were not met.
The bride and the wedding guests who were part of the convoy were abducted on Thursday, February 1.
Screenshot from the video shows the bride dressed in military camouflage and the abducted guests behind her
The victims, who were reportedly friends of the bride from Dandume, were ambushed at Sabuwa while they were on their way in an open van.
“I am the one who abducted them, and I will never release them until ransom is paid. And if there is anyone who thinks they could rescue them, they should try it,” the gang leader said in the video.
The Katsina State Government disclosed that it had commenced rescue operations in response to the kidnapping incident
The state Internal Security Commissioner, Muazu Nasiru, said on Saturday, February 3, that the government was aware of the kidnapping of the wedding guests and had launched operations to ensure that the victims were rescued.
Army rescues 18 female kidnapped victims in Katsina
Meanwhile, troops of the Nigerian Army on Wednesday succeeded in rescuing 18 female kidnapped victims from their captors and handed them over to the Katsina State Government.
This is coming days after 55 wedding guests who were said to be escorting a bride home along the Damari town in Sabuwa Local Government Area of the state were kidnapped by suspected bandits.
The Brigade Commander, 17 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Katsina, Brig – Gen. Oluremi Fadairo, said that the soldiers took a rescue operation to the bandits’ enclaves at Yan-Tumaki and Dan-Ali forests.
He explained that the troops successfully engaged the terrorists in a gun battle, after which they successfully rescued the victims.
Fadairo then handed over the victims to the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasiru Mu’azu.
He stressed the readiness of the Nigerian Army to continue to work for the restoration of permanent peace in the state.
The commander charged the personnel under the Brigade to sustain such rescue operations to ensure that all other kidnapped victims were freed.
Responding, Mu’azu restated the maximum commitment of the government to restore permanent peace in the state.
Mu’azu explained that Governor Dikko Radda has invested hugely in the security sector, adding, “The investments have been yielding positive results.”
The commissioner commended the military and other security agencies for their courageous service toward restoring peace in the state and urged them to maintain the tempo.
He, therefore, advised the bandits, kidnappers, and other criminals to repent immediately or face a myriad of unpalatable consequences.
The commissioner equally assured security agents that the government was making necessary efforts to rescue the women kidnapped on their way to a wedding ceremony in Sabuwa Local Government.
He further advised the people especially in the front-line local governments to avoid night travel for their safety.
Mu’azu also urged people of the state to always assist in providing useful information about criminals and their hideouts.
The commissioner later presented N100, 000 to each of the rescued victims on behalf of Radda.
The rescued victims, all female, were kidnapped at different times from Karaduwa, Sayaya, Dangani and Wawar-Kaza communities of Matazu, Musawa and Kankara Local Government Areas.
One of the victims, Firdausi Bishir, a 13-year-old JSS two student, said that she was abducted from Sayaya and had spent 91 days at the bandits’ den.
She thanked the Almighty Allah, who in His infinite mercy, the soldiers were able to rescue them.
The girl also thanked the governor for giving them the money to establish businesses after returning to their homes.
