By Chioma Iruke
11 hostages have escaped from bandits’ camps at the outskirts of Sabon Birni town, Igabi Local Government Area in Kaduna State, Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs has said.
Making the announcement in a statement on Thursday, he indicated that ongoing security operations dislodged many of the bandits’ camps, leaving them in disarray and enabling the escape of the hostages being held there.
He added that checks revealed that the 11 hostages are a mix of those kidnapped from Dumbin Rauga, Zaria LGA and also along the Kaduna-Zaria highway.
Aruwan added that the families of those kidnapped at Dumbin Rauga had collectively paid a ransom of N3million, but the bandits reneged on the agreement to release the captives, insisting that two motorcycles must be included in the ransom deal.
According to him, the escapees were recovered by the troops and have since been reunited with their families.
In another development, troops of Operation Safe Haven reported the rescue of two kidnapped victims, Barira Sulaiman Inusa and Isah Musa, around Kirti village of Jema’a LGA. They have also been reunited with their families.
Furthermore, the troops rescued one Mrs Chioma Amanda Silver, in Ungwan Sarki Goza village, Mariri, Lere LGA. She had been abducted by bandits who abandoned her on sighting the troops.
Receiving the reports, Governor Nasir El-Rufai expressed his satisfaction with the developments, praising the military’s efforts and the degrading effect of the onslaught on bandit hideouts across the state.
