Suspected armed bandits have attacked a vehicle along the Karaduwa-Matazu Road in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, abducting two occupants and injuring the driver.

The spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, DSP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday in Katsina.

He said the attack occurred at about 11 a.m. on Saturday when the assailants, armed with dangerous weapons, intercepted a red Peugeot 406 saloon car traveling along the route.

“The driver, Abdullahi Sa’id, sustained a gunshot wound to his right arm during the attack,” Mr Sadiq-Aliyu said.

He added that two occupants, Abdullahi Batsari and Amina Abdullahi, were abducted before security operatives arrived at the scene.

“Upon receiving the report, the Divisional Police Officer in Matazu, accompanied by operatives of the Village Community Response Unit (VCRU), swiftly mobilised to the scene.

“The team secured the area and evacuated the injured driver to a medical facility for treatment,” he said.

The police spokesperson further stated that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ali Umar-Fage, personally visited the scene and ordered the deployment of additional personnel and operational assets to strengthen ongoing search-and-rescue operations.

He said the deployment was aimed at ensuring the safe rescue of the abducted victims and the arrest of those responsible for the attack.

Mr Sadiq-Aliyu assured residents that the command remains committed to tackling criminal activities across the state and urged the public to continue supporting security agencies with credible information.

He said: “Efforts to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators are ongoing, and further developments will be communicated as investigations progress.” 

(NAN)