By Haruna Aliyu, Birnin Kebbi
The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested two suspected kidnappers and rescued a 14-year-old boy unhurt during a joint security operation in Ka’oje, Bagudo Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects, identified as Aliyu Alhaji Shehu (alias Altine), 25, and Abubakar Umar (alias Bube), both from Orda village in Bagudo LGA, were apprehended following a gun battle between police operatives and the kidnappers in Sada forest.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafi’u Abubakar, the operation followed a report that a gang of five armed men had, on October 18, invaded the home of one Alhaji Buda Sambo, abducting his 14-year-old son, Aliyu Alhaji Buda, and whisking him away to an unknown destination.
“Acting on credible intelligence, the Divisional Police Officer, Ka’oje, mobilised a combined team of policemen and local vigilantes who pursued the hoodlums into Sada forest and engaged them in a fierce gun duel,” the statement read.
“As a result of the superior firepower of the team, the kidnappers fled into the forest with suspected gunshot wounds.”
The police said the kidnapped boy was later rescued unhurt and reunited with his family after receiving medical attention.
During a search operation, a locally made revolver pistol and one live ammunition were recovered from the residence of one of the suspects.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the arrested suspects and their fleeing accomplices — identified as Dogo, Magaji, Bande, and Janyo, all from Bagudo and Orda villages — were responsible for multiple kidnapping incidents, including the abduction of a 70-year-old man, Alhaji Alti, on October 28.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Bello M. Sani, commended the Ka’oje Divisional Police Officer and his team for their professionalism and swift response. He urged them to sustain the synergy with local vigilantes to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes in the area.
The Commissioner further directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Birnin Kebbi for further investigation and efforts to track down the fleeing suspects.
He appealed to residents to remain calm, vigilant, and continue to support security agencies with credible information to aid ongoing operations.
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