Kidnapper, hunter killed as police battle to rescue victims in Plateau

The Plateau State Police Command yesterday said it has killed one kidnapper and rescued six victims in a rocky forest between Tumu Tsaya and Rumfar Gomna in Bassa LGA of the state.

 The command also said one hunter, Nuhu Titus, who helped in the rescue operation lost his life.

 According to the spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Alabo Alfred, the victims were earlier kidnapped in Gwalada village of Toro LGA of Bauchi State and later moved to the forest.

 Narrating how the incident occurred, the spokesperson of the command, disclosed in a statement that, “On 01/11/2023 at about 0600hrs, while acting on credible intelligence about a horrible kidnap incident, that some unidentified  suspected kidnappers invaded Gwalada village in Toro LGA of Bauchi State and forcefully kidnapped some residents of the area to a rocky forest in between Tumu,Tsaya and Rumfar Gomna in Bassa LGA, the Divisional Police Officer of Jengre led a combined team of battle-ready police operatives, STF, Security Help Groups, to the kidnappers’ camp.  

 “On sighting the security operatives, the kidnappers engaged them in a fierce gun fight but they were subdued by the superior fire power of the security operatives. Six victims namely; Rashida Hamisu, Mummi Usman, Ibrahim Isa, Ya’u Yahaya, Bala Aminu and Alh. Ishaku Usman, all of Gwalfada, Toro LGA, Bauchi, were rescued from the operation.

  “One of the kidnappers was gunned down and his cohorts fled with various degrees of bullet wound but sadly, one Nuhu Titus, a hunter who aided the security in the rescue operation lost his life. Effort is being intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects and rescue other kidnap victims.”