Police rescue 75 kidnapped travellers in Kaduna

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

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The victims, who were travelling in commercial buses, were reportedly kidnapped by gunmen wielding AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons and taken into a forest, where they were concealed in a cave.

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The command, in a statement issued on Friday by its Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, said the victims were rescued after the police received timely information from the Birnin Gwari branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers.

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Hassan said the incident occurred at about 5:30pm on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at Folwaya Village, near Birnin Gwari.

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He said, “The Kaduna State Police Command received credible information from the NURTW, Birnin Gwari Branch, that some Fulani men, women, and children travelling in commercial buses were abducted by unknown armed men wielding AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons at Folwaya Village, near Birnin Gwari.”

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According to him, the abductors subsequently took the victims into the forest and hid them in a cave located in a mountainous area.

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“Upon receipt of the information, a crack team from the Birnin Gwari Area Command was immediately deployed to the location,” the police spokesman added.

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Hassan said the arrival of the police operatives forced the kidnappers to flee, leaving the victims behind.

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“On sighting the well-armed police operatives, the abductors fled, abandoning their captives, who were successfully rescued unharmed,” he stated.

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The statement quoted the state Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, as commending the NURTW branch for its role in providing what he described as “timely and vital information” that enabled the police to respond swiftly.

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The CP also praised the Area Commander, Birnin Gwari, and his men for their “swift and professional response” to the distress call.

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Muhammad urged residents to remain vigilant and provide security agencies with information that could help prevent attacks and kidnappings in the state.

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He said, “Members of the public should remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious movements or activities to the police.”

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The commissioner further cautioned residents against resorting to self-help, warning that such actions could worsen the security situation and endanger innocent people.

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He said, “Residents are urged not to take the law into their own hands, as such actions could lead to the loss of innocent lives.”

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PUNCH Online reports that Birnin Gwari, one of Kaduna State’s largest local government areas by landmass, has for years faced security challenges linked to armed banditry, kidnapping and attacks on rural communities and travellers.

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The area’s location along routes linking Kaduna State with neighbouring parts of Niger State has also made some communities and roads vulnerable to attacks by criminal elements operating in forested areas.

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The insecurity has repeatedly disrupted movement and economic activities, while residents and travellers have faced the threat of abduction along isolated roads and in rural settlements.

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