Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
KATSINA, Nigeria – The Katsina State Police Command has rescued nine abducted passengers after a fierce gun duel with suspected bandits along the Katsina-Kankara highway, security operatives said on Saturday. However, a manhunt is still on for two other victims who remain missing following the incident.
The attack occurred on Friday, June 12, 2026, at about 2:30 p.m. near Tashar Kanya Village in Kankara Local Government Area of the state, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, said in a statement. A group of armed bandits had blocked the major road and intercepted a red commercial Volkswagen Golf III saloon car with registration number KMC 400 MK, which was conveying 11 passengers from Dandume to Katsina at the time. The 40-year-old driver of the vehicle, simply identified as Aliyu but popularly known as “Maitakabari”, was forced to stop, and all the occupants were abducted by the assailants.
Upon receiving a distress report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Kankara immediately mobilised a tactical team, including operatives of the Violent Crime Rescue Unit (VCRU), to the scene. The police team engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle. “Owing to the superior firepower and tactical manoeuvres of the police team, the hoodlums were forced to abandon their mission and flee into the bush,” the police spokesman said.
During a subsequent combing of the area, operatives successfully rescued nine of the victims unharmed. They were identified as Abubakar Ibrahim, 28; Rakiya Ya’u, 30; Shamsiya Ahmad Mahamud, 18; Jumai Majarazu, 20; Salamatu Adamu, 30; Yusuf Halliru, 17; Harira Hamisu, 25; Umma Kabir, 17; and three-year-old Nusaiba Maharazu.
However, two persons — the driver, Aliyu “Maitakabari”, and a passenger named Buhari Kabir — were still missing as of the time of the police update. A search-and-rescue operation is ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining victims, while a manhunt for the fleeing bandits has also been launched.
The Commissioner of Police for Katsina State, CP Ali Umar Fage, commended the gallantry and professionalism displayed by the operatives during the operation. He reaffirmed the command’s unwavering commitment to combating banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities across the state. Fage also urged members of the public to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information to aid ongoing operations.
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