The Police in Katsina State have rescued five victims of kidnap from their captors along the Kankara-Yantumaki highway.
They were rescued on Tuesday after the military and police of Yantumaki responded to a distress call that bandits had blocked and kidnapped some passengers.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the police spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, the joint team chased and engaged the bandits into a gun duel on June 16 at about 02:00 hrs.
The statement further revealed that the team also recovered five motorcycles abandoned by the hoodlums as investigations are ongoing.
It could be recalled that Katsina residents had on Tuesday taken to the major streets in the state capital, protesting against the renewed bandits attacks resulting in the loss of innocent lives and property in the state.
The peaceful protest tagged ‘Stop The Bloodshed’, #EnoughoftheRecklessKillings and #EnoughoftheBloodbath, was powered by a coalition of northern groups in conjunction with six relevant groups including some civil society organisations in the state.
Their protest comes one week after bandits numbering over 200, armed with sophisticated weapons reportedly killed over 50 villagers across eight communities in Faskari Local Government Area of the state.
Meanwhile, as part of efforts to find solutions to the current insecurity bedeviling the state and other northwestern states in the country, top security chiefs today visited the state.
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The National Security Adviser, Babagana Mongunu was among those who arrived at the state, along with the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Magaji, all led by the state police commissioner, CP Sanusi Buba.
On arrival at the General Muhammadu Buhari House, Katsina, the team had a closed-door meeting with the state governor, Aminu Bello Masari.
Speaking shortly after the meeting which lasted over two hours, Mongunu told reporters that the mission of the visit was to discuss with the state governor in response to the security occurrences in the last couple of weeks.
He said he was optimistic that the discussion with the governor would give a clearer picture of the underlined causes of the problem and no doubt go a long way for the team to realize where the gaps exist with the intention to work collectively and bring an end to the current security problem not only in Katsina but also other northern states.
Mongunu described the situation he saw on the ground as highly disturbing, noting that obviously without the collective effort of both the local community and the security agencies, the fight would not be conquered.
The delegation also paid a condolence visit to the emirs of Katsina and Daura, HRHs Abdulmumini Kabir Usman and Umar Faruq Umar at the inner chambers of the palace, Katsina where Usman commended the team for the visit.
He also appealed to journalists to always stick to truths no matter how bitter it is, while also warning people conniving with bandits to fear Allah as they will also be accounted for their deeds in the hereafter.
Meanwhile, Usman used the opportunity to warn the president that there are enemies around him while pledging to intensify prayers for the good of the country.
“I have always been saying this even before the president that he should be careful that there exist enemies in and around him, they always want to sabotage the efforts of his administration. This sabotage will not only affect the administration but also damage the entire northern region. If Buhari is sabotaged that means the north is being sabotaged,” he said.
