The Kaduna State Police Command has rescued 75 men, women and children who were abducted by armed men in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were travelling in commercial buses when they were intercepted at Folwaya Village, near Birnin Gwari, on Wednesday, August 19, and taken into a forest where they were reportedly held in a cave within a mountainous area.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, disclosed the rescue in a statement issued in Kaduna on Friday.
Hassan said the attackers were armed with AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons when they abducted the travellers.
According to him, the police received credible information about the incident from the Birnin Gwari branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, at about 5:30 p.m.
The information prompted the immediate deployment of a tactical team from the Birnin Gwari Area Command to the location where the victims were being held.
“Upon receipt of the information, a crack team from the Birnin Gwari Area Command was immediately deployed to the location,” Hassan said.
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He added that the abductors fled into the surrounding bush after sighting the armed police operatives, abandoning their captives. The 75 victims were subsequently rescued unharmed.
The incident highlights the continuing security challenges in Birnin Gwari, an area that has repeatedly experienced attacks, kidnappings and other forms of criminal violence.
Data cited by the European Union Agency for Asylum shows that Birnin Gwari recorded 52 security incidents between January 2024 and August 2025, placing it among the Kaduna local government areas most affected by insecurity during the period.
The police commissioner, CP Rabiu Muhammad, commended the NURTW’s Birnin Gwari branch for providing what he described as timely and vital information that enabled the security operation.
Muhammad also praised the Birnin Gwari Area Commander and his personnel for their swift and professional response, stressing the importance of cooperation between security agencies and residents in preventing and responding to criminal activities.
The commissioner urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to the police.
He also warned members of the public against taking the law into their own hands, saying such actions could result in the loss of innocent lives.
The Kaduna State Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property and maintaining security across the state.
NAN
