Police rescue 10 passengers after bandits abduct 13 on Jos-Kano highway

Police operatives in Kano State have rescued 10 passengers after suspected bandits abducted 13 travellers from a commercial bus along the Jos-Kano highway in Doguwa Local Government Area of the state.

The attack occurred at about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday along the Folgore Forest axis, between Gate Two Safer Highway and Dogo Dutse.

Confirming the incident, the Kano State Police Command said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Doguwa Division received a distress call that a Toyota Hiace bus travelling from Jos to Kano had been attacked by armed men.

In a statement issued on Monday by the command’s spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the police said five suspected bandits, armed with machetes and a firearm, blocked the road, attacked the vehicle and abducted 13 of the 20 passengers on board.

The statement said the DPO immediately mobilised tactical operatives to the scene, where they engaged the attackers in a gun battle.

“As a result of the swift and coordinated response of the Police team, nine victims were successfully rescued. One other male victim later escaped from captivity,” the statement read.

The police disclosed that three victims, comprising one man and two women, remain in the custody of the kidnappers.

According to the command, the rescued passengers were taken to Doguwa General Hospital for medical examination and were receiving treatment in stable condition.

The police added that additional tactical teams had been deployed to the area, while intelligence gathering and search operations had been intensified to secure the release of the remaining captives and apprehend those behind the attack.

The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended residents and road users for providing timely information that enabled officers to respond swiftly to the incident.

He reassured residents of the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and urged members of the public to continue reporting suspicious movements and activities to the nearest police station.