13 kidnapped NYSC members, others rescued in Katsina

Police authorities in Katsina have confirmed the rescue of 13 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) earlier abducted by armed bandits on March 9, 2020, along the Funtua-Gusua highway.

According to the Katsina State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah, the youth corpers all from Ondo State were on their way to the NYSC camp at Tsafe, Zamfara State, when the bandits intercepted the 18-seater bus in which they were traveling and whisked them into the Doka forest along with five other passengers.

Isah said: “The Divisional Police Officer, Makera and his team responded to the distress call and arrived timely at the scene.

“On arrival, the team searched the nearby forest and rescued 14 passengers made up of nine NYSC members and five civilians while four youth corpers and one civilian were whisked away by the fleeing bandits.”

He said that effort yielded the desired results on March 11 when the team located the camp of the bandits and rescued the remaining hostages.

“Furthermore, the team succeeded and killed six of the kidnappers, recovered one Ak 47 rifle, one LAR rifle, seven rounds of 7.62mm and 12 rounds 7.67mm ammunition were recovered from the bandits.

“All the NYSC members are from Akure, Ondo State heading for NYSC camp, at Tsafe, Zamfara State for the National Youth Service Scheme,” Isah said.

In a related incident, according to him, “on February 27, 2020, at about 12:30 hours, based on a tip-off, a police patrol team attached to CPS Funtua, accosted the duo of Mohammed Nura and Ibrahim Usman, both of Kurya village, Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State, who are notorious kidnappers, cattle rustlers and armed robbery syndicate terrorising Katsina and Zamfara states.

“In the course of investigations the sum of N658,000, two matchets, two torch lights, one woven military cap with a logo of Jihad written on it, were recovered from the hoodlums during a search.

“The suspects confessed to belonging to the camp (Ruga) of one Magaji of Kurya forest, their leader, who supplies them with arms for attacks.

“They further confessed that the money recovered from them was proceed of cattle rustling. Investigation is ongoing.” (Daily Sun)