The Kaduna Police Command says its operatives foiled a kidnap attempt and rescued eight victims in Udawa/Buruku villages on the Kaduna -Birnin Gwari road on Thursday.

In a statement on Saturday, the command’s spokesperson, Mohammed Jalige, said officers attached to Buruku Division achieved this while acting on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, (CP) Yekini Ayoku, on rigorous patrols of all highways.

“On July 21, at about 15:30hrs, the operatives intercepted an unspecified number of bandits on a heinous mission between Udawa/Buruku villages along Kaduna -Birnin Gwari road,” he said.

He explained that the bandits forcefully stopped three commercial vehicles, whisked away the occupants and headed to the forest.

“The resilient operatives, on sighting the gang of criminals, immediately engaged and gave them a fierce chase amidst exchange of fire.

“The operatives’ courage and precision foiled the kidnap as the bandits fled into the forest with varying degrees of bullet wounds. Eight victims were successfully rescued.

“Three of the victims are from Birnin Gwari while four are from Udawa village in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State,” Mr Jalige explained.

He said the eighth victim sustained injury and was rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

He added that the rescued victims were moved to the Buruku Police Station, where they were profiled, documented and escorted to their destination, as concerted efforts were made to ensure sanity on the road.

“The Commissioner of Police appreciated the sacrifice of the gallant men and tasked them not to relent in their commitment to restoring public confidence and safety on our highways always,” Mr Jalige said.

(NAN)