Troops of Operation MESA under the 3 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have rescued seven individuals abducted during a bandit raid on Yankamaye Cikin Gari village in Tsanyawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
The development was disclosed on Sunday in a statement by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 3 Brigade, Capt. Babatunde Zubairu. He said the incident occurred on November 29 at around 11:00 p.m.
According to Zubairu, the troops received a distress call that a large group of armed bandits on foot had stormed the village, abducted 10 residents, and killed a 60-year-old woman. A joint team of soldiers and police officers was quickly mobilized to the scene and pursued the attackers along their withdrawal route toward Rimaye.
“The troops engaged the bandits with a high volume of fire and successfully rescued seven of the abducted victims,” Zubairu said. He added that the assailants fled toward Kankia Local Government Area in Katsina State, and efforts to track them are ongoing.
The Commander of the 3 Brigade commended the troops for their bravery, swift response, and professionalism, while Zubairu urged residents to support security operations by providing timely and credible information.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph reported that between last Monday and Tuesday, criminals reportedly kidnapped 10 people from Biresawa and Tsundu communities, also in Tsanyawa LGA.
A relative of some of the victims, Kabiru Usman, said the gunmen struck around 10:00 p.m., abducting five people from Biresawa and another five from Tsundu. “They came on foot, armed with guns. They kidnapped my wife, Umma; my 17-year-old daughter, Fati; my brother’s wife; and two other women,” he said.
Usman added that villagers tried to resist the attackers but were quickly overpowered. “We tried to stop them, but our weapons were no match for theirs,” he said. Residents had reportedly warned the police and military beforehand after receiving intelligence that the bandits were approaching.
Kano police spokesman Abdullahi Kiyawa said the force would verify the report and provide an update.
NAN
