Nigeria: Police release 21 students abducted by ‘bandits’

A total of 21 students abducted on Friday by gunmen were released by police in Zamfara state (northwestern Nigeria), a spokesman said.

Police “managed to save 21 abducted children” after an exchange of fire with the criminals, said in a press release published by Mohamed Sehou, a spokesman for the police in Zamfara.

Central and northwestern Nigeria has in recent years become the scene of gang activity, which authorities generally call bandits – “gang elements” or “bandits” – who kill civilians, loot villages, commit animal thefts and kidnappings. celebrities, travelers and, more recently, more and more students, in order to redeem.

On Friday, thugs blocked a road and abducted an “unspecified number” of travelers, including students, according to Sehou.

Around midnight (Greek time), a group of police and soldiers responded to a phone call for help from residents of the village of Koutseri, which is close to a strategically important highway.

It was reported that thugs set up a roadblock and abducted the passengers of five buses, including one carrying dozens of students.

The students, accompanied by their teacher, went to an informal Islamic seminary in the neighboring state of Katsina.

The gunmen also took the teacher and the bus driver hostage, according to the statement.

Mr. Sehou urged citizens not to move at night, as then the gangs prefer to set up roadblocks in order to commit kidnappings.

To escape the authorities, the criminals set up camps in the vast Rugo forest, which extends to the states of Zamfara, Cantuna, Katsina and Niger.

A month of interruption of telecommunications and intensive operations of the armed forces in the region last year did not end their activities.

SOURCE: AMPE