Police rescue 19 people and a three-year-old girl in Zamfara

The police in Zamfara State have rescued 19 people held by suspected bandits for 22 days. They also freed a three-year-old girl taken in a different incident in the state.

The 19 victims, mostly women and children, were rescued on Saturday from a suspected bandits’ camp near Kungurmi village. The girl was saved earlier in the week after her 26-year-old aunt was arrested.

Zamfara police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, shared the news in statements on Friday and Saturday. He said the 19 victims were taken from Tungar Haki village, close to Wanke, in Gusau Local Government Area. They were moved to a camp around Kungurmi.

Based on information about their location, the police Anti-Kidnapping Unit, personnel from the Government House, the State Security Service (SSS), and local hunters carried out a rescue operation at about 10 a.m. on Saturday. The victims were found unharmed and have since gone back to their families.

But the police did not say if any suspects were arrested during the operation or if the kidnappers demanded or received a ransom. They also did not provide details about the victims' ages or whether any medical checks were done after their rescue.

The Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Muhammad Bello, praised those involved in the operation. He urged residents to keep giving information to security agencies.

In the other case, police arrested a 26-year-old woman, Saadiya Sahabi, for allegedly kidnapping her three-year-old niece in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area. A man named Abdulganiyu Sahabi reported to the police on 30 October that his daughter had been taken two days earlier.

He told the police that an unknown caller contacted him on 29 October, claiming to have the girl and asking for ₦10 million for her release. After investigations, detectives from the State Intelligence Department arrested Ms Sahabi on 10 November in Bela District, Bungudu Local Government Area. The child was rescued on the same day.

The police said the suspect is the younger sister of the child’s father. They alleged that she admitted to her involvement in the abduction during questioning. They did not explain her role in the ransom demand or say if any money was paid.

The girl went through a medical check before being reunited with her parents on 12 November. Investigators are still looking into whether others were involved in the abduction. The police have not announced any charges against the suspect.

These two incidents happened in different areas of Zamfara, and the police have not reported any links between them.