Police rescue 7 victims, foil attack on Niger communities

Police in Niger State have rescued seven travellers reportedly abducted on Tegina-Zungeru Road, in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State from their kidnappers.

The spokesman of Niger State Police Command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, who confirmed this, said the incident happened on Saturday but that the victims were rescued by a combined team of police and army.

Abiodun said, “Police tactical team in collaboration with the army were immediately mobilised to the scene, where the assailants were equally engaged in a gun battle and as a result of this, the victims were rescued and subsequently ran back to their vehicle to continue their journey while the road was cleared for the road users and normalcy was restored.”

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He said the police in the state also foiled a planned attack by bandits on Goto-Rishi Village in Kaffin-Koro Paikoro LGA.

He said the police and vigilante teams in Kaffin-Koro received intelligence of a planned attack and were mobilised to the area where they engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun battle through which the bandits escaped with bullet wounds into the forest.

He said one AK-47 rifle with three live ammunition and two Honda motorcycles without registration numbers were recovered from the scene.

He said efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing hoodlums as an investigation was ongoing.

However, Abiodun revealed that Gawu- Babangida community in Gurara Local Government Area of the state has donated a Toyota Hilux van to the police in an effort to further strengthen them and community collaboration in the fight against insecurity.

He said the community also donated four vehicles to vigilante groups of Izom, Lambata, Gawu and Gurara communities for effective security patrol.

Daily Trust