The Police Command in Kaduna State said on Sunday that its operatives foiled kidnapping attempt and rescued five victims after a fierce gun duel with a group of bandits.

The Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Muhammad Jalige, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Kaduna.

“The command wishes to inform the general public of its relentless effort to curb the menace of banditry, kidnapping, rustling and armed robbery in the state and the successes recorded in the process,” Jalige said.

According to him, “on March 26, at about 12:00hrs information has it that some bandits numbering 10 with sophisticated weapons blocked Kaduna to Birnin Gwari road in an attempt to kidnap five occupants of a Volkswagen Golf vehicle with Reg.No DKA 539 TU, heading towards Birnin Gwari from Kaduna.

“On receiving the report, patrol team attached to Buruku Division immediately swung into action, engaged the bandits in fierce gun duel and successfully repelled the bandits who scampered into the forest with various degrees of bullet wounds and rescued all the occupants of the vehicle safely.

“Effort is on high gear to ensure the fleeing bandits are apprehended,” he said

The spokesman said the victims have since been reunited with their families.

Jalige also disclosed that on same March 26 a suspected arms dealer was arrested by operatives and one bandit killed, adding the command recovered eight SMG rifles, one pistol and 85 rounds of 7.62 X39mm live ammunition in Saminaka forest of Lere Local Government Area of the state.

He said investigation into the matter had been lunched and the remaining suspects confessed to be transporting the arms and ammunitions to bandits in Niger, Kaduna, Zamfara and Katsina States.

He said on the same date two suspected rustlers were arrested by detectives with 32 rustled cows and 10 sheep recovered in Ladduga village of Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

He noted that the feat were not unconnected to the renewed collaboration between the Police and communities in the areas through prompt intelligence sharing.

“The Command appreciate the awesome gesture and call on all and sundry to support the Police in that direction as it assures them of absolute confidentiality while acting on shared intelligence.

“In his effort to sustain the gains recorded so far in the fight against criminality in the state, the Commissioner of Police ( CP) Umar Muri, has charged his officers and men to work very closely with the locals to improve on the current onslaught,” Jalige said. (NAN)