In a significant security breakthrough, the Niger State Police Command has successfully reunited thirty-five victims of kidnapping, comprising sixteen women and nineteen children, with their families after weeks in protective custody.

The victims were rescued from various hideouts across Kagara, Tegina, and Agwara areas.

The official handover ceremony was presided over by the Deputy  Commissioner of Police in charge of Investigation, DCP Ibrahim Adamu, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Elleman. The event took place at the police command headquarters in Dutsen Kura, Minna, where the victims were formally handed over to the Chairman of Rafi Local Government Area, Ayuba Katako.

CP Elleman, through his representative, noted that the victims had been receiving care and support from both the Police and the Niger State Government during their time in custody. He disclosed that the rescue operation began on July 3, 2025, following intelligence reports that bandits were relocating from Birnin-Gwari with kidnapped victims to new hideouts.

Acting swiftly, police operatives intercepted the first batch—five women and six children—in Agwara while attempting to cross a river to New-Bussa. A second group comprising four women and seven children was intercepted along the Mekujeri–Tegina road. Another batch was later rescued from a vehicle driven by one Yusuf Abdullahi of Birnin-Gwari, who is currently under investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for possible complicity.

The Police Commissioner emphasised that the victims underwent a series of counselling, rehabilitation, and deradicalisation processes to prepare them for reintegration into their communities. He urged the public to continue providing credible and actionable intelligence to law enforcement for timely intervention.

Receiving the victims, the Chairman Rafi Local Government Area, Ayuba Katako, expressed gratitude to the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, and other security agencies involved in the rescue operation. He also commended the Niger State Government for its support, particularly in providing food, medical care, and emotional support to the rescued individuals.

“The families have been eagerly waiting for this reunion. While proper scrutiny must be conducted before reintegration, we are happy that the Police and relevant authorities have done the needful. These individuals are now ready to return to their communities,” Katako said.

He assured that the local government would support the victims, especially the children, in continuing their education or enrolling in vocational training, depending on their needs and health status.

“These are refined individuals, and we will ensure they are well taken care of until they find their footing in life again,” he added.

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Also speaking, the Chairman of Shiroro Local Government Area, Akilu Isyaku, expressed deep appreciation to the Police and all stakeholders involved in the rescue.

“We are impressed with what God has done for us. By the way our people were rescued, we have nothing to say to the Police than to say thank you. We still have people in captivity and need your prayers so that God will rescue those who are still held by these criminals,” he said.

“We appreciate anyone who contributed to this success. Special thanks to the media—especially Channels TV—for spreading critical information when necessary. We are excited, even though some of these victims had been missing for so long, we feared they might be dead. We are still hoping that those unaccounted for will return home alive.”

One of the victims, Salma Usman, who spoke in Hausa, emotionally recounted her ordeal:

“We passed through a lot in the forest at the hands of these bandits. We just had to be patient until security personnel intercepted and rescued us. All we did was pray to God to save us. Today, we are safe, and we pray never to experience such again in our lives. We thank the Police for feeding us and giving us medical attention to keep us safe. I was kidnapped with one of my children, but now I am grateful we are alive and going home. I have two children with my husband, and one was with me in captivity.”

Another victim, Halima Shehu, also in House, shared her painful experience:

“I had just gotten married six months before I was kidnapped with my husband. I was only 16 years old. Five of us were kidnapped—three females and two males. I had two children with my late husband. We were taken to the Sambisa Forest and later to the Cameroon Forest, before they brought us back to the forest in Niger State, where we were finally rescued by security personnel.”

As the victims begin their journey back to normal life, authorities continue to intensify efforts to locate and rescue others still in captivity.