Sokoto Rima Manager kidnapped in Katsina

Unknown gunmen have kidnapped the Dutsin-Ma Regional Manager of the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), Labaran Muhammed Dandume.

Credible sources in Dutsin-ma said the victim was abducted by the gunmen who stormed his residence located inside the SRRBDA staff quarters in Dutsin-Ma at about 11.47 p.m on Thursday.

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Some residents, who witnessed the incident, said the gunmen, who were about 10 in number, forced him into their vehicle and zoomed off to an unknown destination.

One of the sources said: “Bandits numbering about 10 attacked the staff quarters of SRRBDA in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area of Katsina State yesterday (Thursday), where they kidnapped the SRRBDA Manager, Labaran Muhammed Dandume”.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, SP Gambo Isah, confirmed the incident, saying, however, the attackers were six in number who went quietly into the compound after subduing the gatemen and took away the victim.

Isah said there were indications that some informants from the community must have given the attakers a tip about the movements of the victim, owing to the fact he (victim) returned from vacation only the previous day.

In another development, the Police Command in Katsina State said its personnel had successfully foiled a kidnap attempt on Kirijam village in Mahuta ward of Dandume Local Government during which nine victims were rescued.

The spokesman of the command disclosed in a statement issued to journalists on Friday, that “on 01/07/2021 at about 11 pm, bandits in their numbers, shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles, attacked the village, which is in Mahuta Ward of Dandume LGA and kidnapped nine (9) persons.

“On receipt of the report, DPO Dandume Division led a team of Policemen and blocked their possible exit route at Kadawan Maikomo village, Sabuwa LGA.

“Fortunately, the bandits followed through the route and fell into a police ambush.

“The team engaged the bandits in a fierce gun duel and successfully repelled them.”

Isah said the courage and tactical operational strategy adopted by the police officers made the bandits to flee into the forest with varying degrees of bullets wounds.

“In the course of profiling the scene, all the nine (9) abducted persons were rescued unhurt and some GSM phones and food items stolen from the village by the hoodlums were also recovered,” he added.