The Kaduna State Police Command has rescued 75 travellers, including men, women and children, who were abducted by armed men near Folwaya Village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were travelling in commercial buses when the gunmen, armed with AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons, reportedly intercepted them at about 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
The abductors subsequently took the victims into a forest and concealed them inside a cave located in a mountainous area.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, said in a statement on Friday that the rescue followed credible information provided by the Birnin Gwari branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
According to Hassan, a crack team from the Birnin Gwari Area Command was immediately deployed to the location after receiving the distress information.
He said the arrival of the police operatives forced the kidnappers to flee, abandoning the victims, who were rescued unharmed.
“On sighting the well-armed police operatives, the abductors fled, abandoning their captives, who were successfully rescued unharmed,” Hassan stated.
The state Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, commended the NURTW for providing what he described as timely and vital information that enabled the police to respond swiftly.
He also praised the Area Commander, Birnin Gwari, and his personnel for their professional response to the incident.
Muhammad urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to security agencies.
The commissioner further warned residents against taking the law into their own hands, stressing that resorting to self-help could worsen the security situation and endanger innocent lives.
Birnin Gwari has continued to face security challenges, including kidnapping, armed banditry and attacks on rural communities and travellers. The area’s extensive forests and road links to neighbouring parts of Niger State have also made some communities vulnerable to criminal activities.
The latest rescue underscores the importance of timely information sharing between residents, transport unions and security agencies in combating kidnapping and other forms of insecurity.
