Police operatives in Katsina State have foiled a kidnapping attempt and rescued nine victims after a swift response to an attack by suspected armed bandits along the Katsina-Kankara highway.
Hikaya Newspaper reports that the incident occurred on June 12, 2026, at about 2:30 p.m. when suspected bandits blocked the road at Tashar Kanya Village in Kankara Local Government Area. The attackers intercepted a red commercial Volkswagen Golf III saloon car conveying 11 passengers from Dandume to Katsina and abducted all the occupants.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, the Divisional Police Officer of Kankara immediately mobilized police operatives, including personnel of the Violent Crime Rescue Unit (VCRU), to the scene after receiving the distress report.The operatives engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle and forced them to flee due to superior firepower and tactical operations. While combing the area, the police successfully rescued nine victims unharmed.
The rescued victims include Abubakar Ibrahim, Rakkiya Ya’u, Shamsiya Ahmad Mahamud, Jumai Majarazu, Salamatu Adamu, Yusuf Halliru, Harira Hamisu, Umma Kabir, and three-year-old Nusaiba Maharazu. Police said all the rescued victims were found safe during the operation.
However, two persons, Buhari Kabir and the driver, Aliyu, popularly known as “Maitakabari,” are still missing. Police said search and rescue efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining victims and arrest the fleeing suspects. The Commissioner of Police, CP Ali Umar Fage, commended the operatives for their bravery and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to eliminating criminal activities across Katsina State.