Police Rescue 17 Kidnapped Victims, Neutralize Three Armed Robbers
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force says its operatives have rescued 17 victims who had been abducted on 3rd March 2025 from Sarkin Pawa, Niger State.
Disclosing this during a press briefing on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the rescue was made possible following collaboration and strategic intelligence deployment between inter-agency operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), through a non-kinetic approach.
He said the victims, who were rescued on Wednesday, 9th April, 2025, include:Williams Ubadia, Samuel Ezekiel, Duza Ezekiel, Ishaku Ishaya, Sunday Ezekiel, Jessy Friday,
Rebecca Ezekiel, Jummai Ishaya and Terriza Friday.
Others are Alice Ezekiel, Victoria Ishaya, Blessing Ezekiel, Gloria Ubadia, Gift Ubadia, Charity Ezekiel, Alheri Ishaya and Favour Ezekiel. They were aged between 1 and 35 years. All rescued individuals were promptly taken to the Police Clinic in Kaduna for medical examination and have been certified to be in stable and sound health.
According into Adejobi, the non-kinetic approach operations that ked to the record of the victims evidences the commitment of the IGP to leveraging intelligence-led policing and inter-agency synergy to address security challenges.
On the same day, 9th April 2025, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit acting on credible intelligence intercepted a commercial Volkswagen Sharan vehicle at the Kawo Central Motor Park in Kaduna. .
Upon thorough search, officers discovered 21 fabricated AK-47 rifles concealed within the vehicle. The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Jamilu Suleiman, was arrested and is currently in custody. During preliminary interrogation, the suspect confessed that he was instructed by a union member to deliver the firearms to an unidentified individual in Kaduna.
“A full-scale investigation has been launched to dismantle the arms trafficking network and bring all perpetrators to book”, Adejobi said.
In a separate incident, on the same day, 9th April 2025, at about 5:00am, the Police Command received a distress call from a Good Samaritan reporting an armed robbery in progress at Doggi Farm, located along the Kaduna–Abuja Expressway.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Tafa Division swiftly mobilized a patrol team to the scene. Upon arrival, they engaged a gang of about 30 armed robbers in a fierce gun duel, during which two of the robbers were neutralized, while others fled towards the nearby hills.
Two other injured suspects were apprehended and taken to the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Memorial Hospital, Sabon Wuse, for treatment. Unfortunately, one of them was later confirmed dead, while the other is alive and currently assisting the Police with further investigation, even as efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing members of the gang and bring them to justice.
