THE Kano State Police Command has confirmed the rescue of 10 passengers following an attack by armed bandits on a commercial bus along the Jos–Kano highway in Doguwa Local Government Area of the state.
News Point Nigeria reports that the attack occurred on Sunday at about 5:30 p.m., when suspected bandits ambushed a commercial vehicle travelling along the highway, abducting several passengers before police operatives launched a rescue operation.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Kano State, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, disclosed that five suspected bandits armed with machetes and a firearm attacked a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BKK 6824 XA at the Folgore Forest axis.
According to him, the attackers abducted 13 of the 20 passengers on board the commercial vehicle during the ambush.
Kiyawa said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Doguwa swiftly mobilised tactical operatives to the scene after receiving a distress call.
He explained that the operatives engaged the attackers in a gun duel, leading to the successful rescue of nine of the abducted passengers, while another male passenger later escaped from captivity, bringing the total number of rescued victims to 10.
The police spokesman added that three passengers, comprising one male and two females, are still being held captive by the bandits.
He disclosed that the rescued victims were taken to the General Hospital in Doguwa for medical evaluation and have since been confirmed to be in stable condition.
Kiyawa said the Commissioner of Police in Kano State, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended the vigilance of motorists and residents whose timely information assisted security operatives in responding swiftly to the attack.
The Commissioner, he said, assured the public that an intensified manhunt involving the deployment of additional tactical teams and sustained intelligence-gathering operations is ongoing to secure the release of the remaining captives and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The Kano State Police Command also appealed to residents to continue reporting suspicious movements and activities to the nearest police station or through its emergency lines, reaffirming its commitment to protecting lives and property in line with the Inspector-General of Police’s community-centred policing strategy.
