By Ayox Ojo

Police operatives have rescued 75 travellers abducted by gunmen on Wednesday, near Folwaya Village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The victims including men, women and children were travelling in commercial buses whey they were reportedly intercepted and abducted by the gunmen at about 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday August 19.

They were subsequently taken into a forest and hidden inside a cave located in a mountainous terrain by the gunmen.

However, Police began operations to rescue the abductees following timely intelligence provided by the Birnin Gwari branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the spokesperson for Kaduna Police Command, Mansir Hassan, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

Hassan said the NURTW alerted the police after receiving information that several travellers had been abducted at Folwaya Village, near Birnin Gwari.

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

The spokesperson revealed that the kidnappers fled and abandoned their captives in the forest on arrival of the police operatives.

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

He added that the operation demonstrated the importance of timely intelligence-sharing and rapid response in tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes.

Hassan quoted Kaduna Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad as commending the Birnin Gwari NURTW branch for providing as timely and vital information that enabled the police to respond swiftly.

He also praised the Area Commander, Birnin Gwari, and his personnel for their prompt and professional response to the distress call.

The commissioner urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to security agencies to enable early intervention.

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

He, however, cautioned residents against resorting to self-help, warning that such actions could escalate the security situation and expose innocent persons to danger.

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