No fewer than 18 kidnap victims have been rescued from the hands of bandits in Katsina State after the state police command foiled kidnap attempt along the Funtua-Gusau highway in Zamfara State.
The Command also succeeded in recovering an unspecified number of rustled animals after foiling cattle rustling attempt at Gidan Gada village in Kafur Local Government Area of the state.
The kidnapping attempt occurred on January 3rd, 2025, at about 21:30 hrs, after an information was received at the Faskari Divisional Police Headquarters that some suspected armed bandits armed with AK-47 rifles, shooting sporadically, ambushed 4 vehicles at a point along the Funtua-Gusau highway.
The vehicles, one Toyota Avensis, maroon in colour, en route to Yankara village from Batsari; one DAF motor vehicle, white in colour; one Pacars Canter motor vehicle; and one DAF, green in colour, all en route to Funtua from Gusau, Zamfara State, conveying 18 passengers, were attacked by the suspected kidnappers in an attempt to kidnap all the occupants.
Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer of Faskari Divisional Police Headquarters, promptly mobilised operatives to the scene where a gunfight ensued.
In a statement on Sunday, police spokesman ASP Abubakar Sadiq noted that the team successfully repelled the armed bandits’ attack and rescued 18 victims unharmed.
In a related development, on the same date at about 23:00 hrs, some suspected armed bandits attacked Gidan Gada village, Kafur LGA, Katsina State, rustling a number of cattle.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, the Lebanese army is to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south as the Israeli army withdraws over a 60-day period.
Hezbollah is to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River — some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border — and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.
A committee composed of Israeli, Lebanese, French and US delegates alongside a representative of UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL is tasked with ensuring any ceasefire violations are identified and dealt with.
The UN peacekeeping force has also repeatedly accused Israel of violating the ceasefire terms.