Bandits abducted 13 passengers travelling in a commercial bus along the Jos-Kano highway in Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State, but police operatives rescued 10 of the victims after engaging the attackers in a gun battle.
The incident occurred on Sunday at about 5:30 pm at the Folgore Forest axis, between Gate Two Safer Highway and Dogo Dutse.
The Kano State Police Command, in a statement issued on Monday by its spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Doguwa Division received a distress call that a Toyota Hiace bus travelling from Jos to Kano had been attacked by armed men.
According to the statement, five suspected bandits armed with machetes and a firearm blocked the road, attacked the bus and abducted 13 of the 20 passengers on board.
The police said the DPO immediately mobilised tactical operatives to the scene, where they confronted the attackers in a gun duel.
“As a result of the swift and coordinated response of the Police team, nine victims were successfully rescued. One other male victim later escaped from captivity,” the statement said.
The command, however, disclosed that three victims, comprising one man and two women, were still being held by the kidnappers.
It added that the rescued passengers were taken to Doguwa General Hospital for medical evaluation and were in stable condition while receiving treatment.
The police said additional tactical teams had been deployed to the area, while intelligence gathering and search operations had been intensified to secure the release of the remaining captives and arrest those responsible for the attack.
The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended residents and road users for providing timely information that helped the police respond quickly to the incident.
He assured residents that the command remained committed to protecting lives and property and urged members of the public to continue reporting suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station.
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