Traditional rulers in Katsina State have commended the military, State Security Service (SSS) and local vigilante groups after a security operation reportedly disrupted a planned attack and led to the rescue of 18 kidnap victims in Bakori Local Government Area.
The rulers said armed bandits abandoned the captives while fleeing after security operatives blocked their route to Unguwan Hudu village in Kakumi Ward.
The rescued victims comprised 14 females and four males, including children and toddlers.
A district head who spoke on Thursday said intelligence the SSS received enabled security personnel to intercept the attackers’ planned movement.
He alleged that the group was led by a man identified as Rabiu and operated from the camp of Alhaji Musa Duki in Mununu Forest, Faskari Local Government Area.
According to the traditional ruler, the bandits abandoned their mission after apparently discovering that security forces had blocked their approach to the village.
He said bloodstains along their escape route suggested that some attackers sustained gunshot wounds and estimated that at least seven had been injured.
One rescued victim, 14-year-old Zainab Ashiru, sustained a gunshot injury and was admitted to General Hospital, Bakori, the ruler said.
Another district head praised the cooperation between security agencies, traditional institutions and local vigilantes, saying it had helped prevent attacks on farming settlements.
The operation came less than two weeks after security forces reportedly foiled another mass abduction attempt at Gidan Iyado, also in Kakumi Ward.
The state government had said 18 bandits were killed during that earlier operation by a combined team of military personnel, SSS operatives and the state watch corps.
The traditional rulers said the successive interventions demonstrated the value of timely intelligence and coordinated security action against armed groups.
