Bandits free 100 victims 40 days after

Bandits in Zamfara State have released 100 kidnapped victims in Dansadau, Maru Local Government Area of the state.

Police spokesperson in the state, SP Mohammed Shehu, said the bandits abducted the victims at Manawa village on June 8 and kept them at Kabaru Forest for over 40 days.

Shehu said the captives were rescued on Monday through the intervention of repentant bandits engaged by the state government.

“The rescue operation took time because of the high number of the captives. It is necessary for us to carefully apply tactics in order not to jeopardise the whole operation. Thank God, it went smoothly,” he told BBC Hausa.

He said out of 100 persons rescued, 80 are with the security agents.

“The remaining 20 couldn’t make it to Gusau because they are sick. We have handed them over to their families for treatment,” he added. Method employed

Shehu said “We used two procedures. The first was fighting the bandits who are not interested in peace despite a window for them to repent. The security agents have no option than to fight them.

“The second option is engaging the repentant bandits in rescuing the captives without paying a dime as ransom.

“Some of them are exhibiting signs that they are tired of banditry; they come for arbitration and the government gives them amnesty for peace to reign. They even assist security agents towards peace building.”

Among the rescued, 53 are female and 23 children and four adult male.

A few days ago, 60 people were rescued from the den of bandits in Shinkafi.