KADUNA – Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Special Forces (SF) on Wednesday, 12 January 2022, rescued 26 kidnapped victims while on a fighting patrol on Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Road.
Confirming the report, Director of Public
Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet said the rescue operation occurred when the Special Forces came across five abandoned vehicles with their doors ajar near Anguwar Yako, an indication of forced removal or evacuation and likely kidnap scene.
Acting on instincts, the Special Forces began exploiting the general scene of the abduction and extended for about 3 kilometres radius well into the bushes while clearing the general area.
Upon sighting the Special Forces, about 3 kidnapped escapees suddenly came out from the bushes.
He said further search by the Special Forces led to the discovery of 4 different groups of victims hiding in the bushes.
After a thorough search further into the hinterland, a total of 26 victims were rescued, he said.
Gabkwet said on interrogation, the victims who were traveling from Birnin Gwari to various locations including Kaduna, Minna and Kano, disclosed that while enroute, a large number of bandits in 3 groups suddenly appeared from the bushes from 3 different directions on the route and surrounded their vehicles.
However, on sighting the Special Forces , the kidnappers fled into the bushes with a handful of the victims while the other majority took cover and hid in the bushes until they sighted the Special Forces, he added.
The NAF Special Forces has extended their operations within the area with the hope of rescuing the remaining kidnapped victims while those rescued had since been moved to the 461 NAF Hospital Kaduna for thorough medical examination, he further added.
