Two people were reported killed on Thursday, while six others were rescued after Plateau State Police Command agents battled suspected kidnappers in a gun battle.
It was learned that the kidnappers had previously raided Gwalada village in Bauchi State‘s nearby Toro LGA and kidnapped some inhabitants.
Some police officers who were informed of the event later tracked the kidnappers down to their hiding place in the border village.
Two people were murdered in the ensuing crossfire: one of the kidnapping suspects and a vigilante group member, while six of the kidnapped citizens were rescued by police.
Alabo Alfred, spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Jos on Thursday.
The statement said, “The Plateau State Police Command, in its relentless efforts to get rid of criminal elements in the state, has trailed a gang of notorious kidnappers to their den, dislodged them, rescued six (6) kidnapped victims, and gunned down one kidnapper.
“On 01/11/2023, at about 0600hrs, while acting on credible intelligence about a horrible kidnap incident in which some unidentified suspected kidnappers invaded Gwalada village in Toro LGA of Bauchi State and forcefully kidnapped some residents of the area to a rocky forest in between Tumu,Tsaya, and Rumfar Gomna in Bassa LGA, the Divisional Police Officer of Jengre led a combined team of battle-ready police operatives, STF, and Security Help Groups to the kidnappers’ camp.
“On sighting the security operatives, the kidnappers engaged them in a fierce gun fight, but they were subdued by the superior firepower of the security operatives. However, six victims, namely: Rashida Hamisu, Mummi Usman, Ibrahim Isa,Ya’u Yahaya,Bala Aminu, and Alhaji Ishaku Usman, all of Gwalfada, Toro LGA, Bauchi, were rescued from the operation while one of the kidnappers was gunned down and his cohorts fled with various degrees of bullet wounds, but sadly, one Nuhu Titus, a hunter who aided the security in the rescue operation, lost his life.”
According to the statement, efforts are being increased to apprehend the fleeing culprits and rescue more kidnapping victims.
It went on to say that the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, CP Okoro J. Alawari, assured citizens of the police’s commitment to combating crime and criminality in the state.
“He (CP) vows to do all within his powers to ensure that all 17 local government areas continue to remain safe for all citizens of the state.
“The CP warns kidnappers to repent of their atrocious activities or leave Plateau State before the police apprehend them,” the statement added.
