The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has revealed details of how the Al-Kadriyar sisters and other abducted victims were rescued from the bandits’ den in Kajuru forest in Kaduna State by a joint team of policemen and soldiers of the Nigerian Army on Saturday night.
About 23 persons were abducted on January 2, 2024, in the Zuma 1 area of Kawu, in the Bwari Area Council of Abuja.
The police on Sunday confirmed that all the victims, including five sisters whose abduction had raised nationwide concerns, were rescued at about 11 pm on Saturday, and had since been reunited with their families.
The bandits terrorising the FCT and neighbouring states of Kaduna, Nasarawa and Niger were camped in the Kajuru forest in the Southern Kaduna area of Kaduna State.
Highly placed security sources confided in one of our correspondents that the forest was being used by the military for training of its personnel, but had been abandoned, thus making it a haven for the terrorists.
One of the military sources told The PUNCH on Friday, “Kidnappers and other criminals terrorising the Federal Capital Territory are presently camped in the Kajuru forest. Kajuru is the headquarters of the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The forest has become a haven for bandits and kidnappers.”
Revealing details of the Saturday night rescue operation, in a statement on Sunday, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said the victims were rescued by the FCT anti-kidnapping squad in a concerted effort with troops of the Nigerian Army.
SP Adeh said, “Following the relentless advancement of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command Anti-Kidnapping squad in a concerted effort with troops of the Nigerian Army, on the heels of the kidnappers that struck the Zuma 1 area in the Bwari Area Council on January 2, 2024, the FCT police rescued the victims and reunited them with their families.
“The operatives successfully rescued the victims around Kajuru forest in Kaduna state at about 11:30 pm on Saturday, January 20, 2024.
“While appreciating the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, for the deployment of the newly commissioned Special Intervention Squad, which has given an uplift to the existing security architecture of the FCT and has brewed public confidence, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Haruna Garba, wishes to reiterate the commands commitment to sustaining the robust security deployment made in the area and other parts of the Territory for the utmost maintenance of peace for all and sundry.
“The good people of FCT are hence encouraged to note the following emergency lines and promptly report suspicious activities; 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883.
PCB: 09022222352.”
Abiodun Sanusi
The PUNCH journalist, Sanusi, has over six years media experience covering metro, entertainment, politics, civil societies, foreign affairs, crime and security.