Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Zamfara State Police Command has rescued three teenage boys who spent months in captivity after escaping from suspected bandits in the dense Bingi Forest area of Maru Local Government Area. The victims, identified as Yusuf Ibrahim (15), Basiru Yusuf (17) and Mubarak Ibrahim (18), were found wandering in the forest on 31 May 2026 by a joint patrol team that was conducting confidence‑building operations across vulnerable areas of the state.
According to a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, the rescue operation was carried out by personnel of the 42 Police Mobile Force Motorcycle Patrol Unit, the Violent Crime Response Unit and members of the Community Protection Guard. The team was on routine patrol in the highly volatile Bingi Forest when they spotted the three teenagers roaming without any guide or indication of where they were headed. The officers immediately took them into protective custody and began preliminary debriefing.
During interrogation, the victims revealed that they had been abducted in February 2026 from Marabe Village in the Kwaren Ganuwa District of Tsafe Local Government Area. They stated that they had been held captive for several months before managing to escape from their captors. After their escape, they wandered through the forest until they were found by the security patrol. The police confirmed that the teenagers were taken to a government hospital, where they received medical attention and were later discharged.
After being discharged, the victims were handed over to the Executive Chairman of Maru Local Government Area, Hon. Muhammad Bello Jabaka, who facilitated their reunion with their respective families. The command used the opportunity to reiterate its warning against the payment of ransom to kidnappers, stressing that such actions only embolden criminal groups and prolong insecurity.
DSP Abubakar reaffirmed the command’s commitment to sustained security operations across the state, noting that ongoing patrols and intelligence‑led policing efforts were yielding results. He urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information to aid the fight against banditry and other crimes.
The rescue comes amid growing concerns over the abduction of children across parts of the country. Recent incidents include the kidnapping of more than 40 primary and junior secondary school pupils in the Mussa community of Askira‑Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, as well as the abduction of 46 students and teachers in the Oriire area of Oyo State. The successful rescue of the three teenagers in Zamfara offers a rare moment of relief in a region that has suffered years of bandit attacks and mass abductions.
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