Troops rescue 31 kidnapped passengers in Kogi, search ongoing for others

 

By; Zagazola Makama 

 

The Nigerian Army troops in collaboration with police and local hunters rescued 31 kidnapped passengers along the Apata-Obajana road on Thursday night.

 

Zagazola Makama informed reliably that the incident occurred on May8, at about 11:50 p.m. when two Toyota Hiace buses travelling from Lagos to Kano and Katsina respectively were attacked by armed hoodlums.

 

The first bus with registration number DTF 773 XA driven by Saminu Yahaya was heading to Kano with 17 passengers, while the second, with registration number KNA 170 XA, driven by Bashir Dahiru, was en route to Katsina with another 17 passengers.

 

A distress alert was received from a local hunter, prompting a swift response by the troops who engaged the assailants in a fierce gun duel, which forced the attackers to abandon 31 of the 38 victims and flee into the forest.

 

Four of the rescued passengers sustained machete injuries, while one victim was hit by a bullet in the left thigh. All injured victims were immediately evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment.

 

Efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining seven abducted persons have been intensified. 

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