Kaduna Police Rescue 75 Kidnapped Travellers in Birnin Gwari
The Kaduna State Police Command has rescued 75 travellers, including men, women and children, who were abducted by armed men near Folwaya Village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The victims, who were travelling in commercial buses, were reportedly intercepted at about 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, by gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons.
The abductors subsequently took the travellers into a forested area and concealed them inside a cave located in a mountainous terrain.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna State, Mansir Hassan, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday, saying the rescue followed timely intelligence provided by the Birnin Gwari branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
According to Hassan, the NURTW alerted the police after receiving information that several travellers had been abducted at Folwaya Village, near Birnin Gwari.
“Upon receipt of the information, a crack team from the Birnin Gwari Area Command was immediately deployed to the location,” he said.
He explained that the arrival of the police team forced the kidnappers to flee, abandoning their captives in the forest.
“On sighting the well-armed police operatives, the abductors fled, abandoning their captives, who were successfully rescued unharmed,” Hassan stated.
The police spokesman said the operation demonstrated the importance of timely intelligence-sharing and rapid response in tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes.
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The Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, Rabiu Muhammad, commended the Birnin Gwari NURTW branch for providing what he described as timely and vital information that enabled the police to respond swiftly.
Muhammad also praised the Area Commander, Birnin Gwari, and his personnel for their prompt and professional response to the distress call.
The commissioner urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to security agencies to enable early intervention.
“Members of the public should remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious movements or activities to the police,” he said.
He, however, cautioned residents against resorting to self-help, warning that such actions could escalate the security situation and expose innocent persons to danger.
“Residents are urged not to take the law into their own hands, as such actions could lead to the loss of innocent lives,” Muhammad added.
The rescue comes amid persistent security challenges in Birnin Gwari, an expansive local government area that has experienced repeated incidents of kidnapping, armed banditry and attacks on rural communities and travellers.
The area’s extensive forest corridors and its location along routes linking Kaduna with neighbouring parts of Niger State have continued to present security challenges, particularly for travellers and residents of remote communities.
The latest operation underscores the critical role of community-based intelligence and rapid security response in preventing kidnappings and securing vulnerable transport corridors.
By PRNigeria
