NIGERIA. Zamfara State: Not less than 100 kidnap victims of bandits in the northeast have regained their freedom from their captivity. This is coming as a result of an intensified effort by Nigerian troops in their continuous raid on the criminal gangs’ hideout in Zamfara state forest.
The Zamfara state Commissioner of Police, Ayuba Elkanah confirmed this to newsmen, saying the result was with the effort of a repentant bandit who turned to the police informant who led the Nigeria combined team of military and police to the notorious gangs’ hideout in the forest.
It could be recalled that recently Nigeria army and police have been raiding down on the bandits’ hideouts in the state.
Statistics of the freed victims
Elkanah added that earlier this week, about 68 victims held hostage in different bandits camps in the Shinkafi and Tsafe Local Government Areas of Zamfara state were rescued. 29 victims from Tsafe and 68 others from Shinkafi local government respectively. This includes 19 babies, 16 minors, seven pregnant women and 33 male adults.
In another related development, police also confirmed the release of 29 kidnap victims from Kunchin Kalgo forest who were held for about two months in captivity in the same Tsafe local government area of Zamfara state.
Activities of the bandits and status of victims
The dreaded bandit activities range from kidnapping for ransom, cattle rustling and killing of unarmed and innocent citizens across northeast and north-central Nigeria. This includes school children and minors.
Chairman Committee on Finding Lasting Solutions to Banditry in Zamfara state, Doctor Abdullahi Shinkafi added that the victims were set free by their kidnappers without their relatives paying any ransom.
Chairman of the State Committee on Finding Lasting Solutions to Banditry, in Zamfara state, Doctor Abdullahi Shinkafi, noted that the victims sum up to be around 70.
All the rescued victims are currently receiving medical treatment from the joint medical teams of the state government and the police, Shinkafi further stated.
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