The Kaduna State Police Command has rescued 75 men, women and children who were kidnapped by armed men near Folwaya Village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the state.

The victims, identified as Fulani travellers, were abducted while travelling in commercial buses, the police said in a statement issued on Thursday by the command’s spokesman, DSP Mansir Hassan.

According to the statement, the incident occurred on August 19 at about 5:30pm after the command received credible information from the Birnin Gwari branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

It said the victims were abducted by unknown gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons.

“The abductors took the victims into the forest and concealed them in a cave within a mountainous area,” the statement said.

The police said upon receiving the information, a crack team from the Birnin Gwari Area Command was immediately deployed to the location.

It added that the kidnappers fled on sighting the heavily armed police operatives, abandoning the victims, who were rescued unharmed.

The Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, CP Rabiu Muhammad, commended the NURTW branch for providing timely and vital information that enabled the police to respond swiftly.

He also praised the Area Commander, Birnin Gwari, and his operatives for their prompt and professional response.

The commissioner urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements and activities to the police.

He also cautioned members of the public against taking the law into their own hands, warning that such actions could result in the loss of innocent lives. (Daily Trust)

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