WorldStage– Traditional rulers in Katsina State have commended the Military, Department of State Services (DSS) and local vigilante groups for successfully foiling a fresh mass abduction attempt by armed bandits in the Bakori Local Government Area.
The foiled attack had targeted residents of Unguwan Hudu village located in the Kakumi Ward of Bakori LGA, with security reports indicating that the armed bandits were allegedly led by a commander named Rabiu.
The group operated from a notorious camp belonging to one Alhaji Musa Duki situated in the Mununu Forest within the neighboring Faskari Local Government Area.
According to reports, the security forces thwarted the plot acting on actionable intelligence gathered by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The reports disclosed further that operatives from the military and local security networks quickly mobilized and blocked the designated infiltration routes into the community.
“Realizing that their
attack paths had been effectively sealed by the joint security cordon, the bandits aborted their mission and fled the vicinity.
“During their retreat, the fleeing criminals abandoned 18 kidnap victims whom they had previously held in custody. The rescued captives comprised 14 females and four males, including vulnerable children and toddlers,” the reports stated.
Speaking on the development, a prominent district head in Bakori LGA expressed profound gratitude to the security forces and community-based vigilantes.
“We thank the Almighty Allah for the continued collaboration amongst the security agencies, traditional institutions and local communities. This has helped to stop criminal elements from attacking farming communities in our domain,” the traditional ruler stated.
Royal fathers noted that the successful operation comes less than two weeks after a similar combined security team—comprising the military, DSS, and the Katsina State Community Watch Corps—neutralized 18 bandits while intercepting a separate mass abduction attempt at Gidan Iyado, also located in Kakumi Ward.
Local authorities continue to urge residents to maintain vigilance and support security agencies with timely information to flush out criminal remnants hiding within regional forests.
