The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has disclosed the successful rescue operation that freed the Al-Kadriyar sisters and other victims from the clutches of bandits in the Kajuru forest of Kaduna State. A joint team of police and Nigerian Army soldiers executed the rescue mission on Saturday night, bringing an end to the ordeal of 23 persons who were abducted on January 2, 2024, in the Zuma 1 area of Kawu, Bwari Area Council, Abuja.
The police confirmed on Sunday that all the victims, including the five sisters whose abduction had triggered nationwide concern, were rescued around 11 pm on Saturday and subsequently reunited with their families.
Security sources revealed that the Kajuru forest, situated in the Southern Kaduna area of Kaduna State, was previously utilized by the military for personnel training but had been abandoned, transforming it into a haven for criminals, including the bandits terrorizing the Federal Capital Territory and neighboring states of Kaduna, Nasarawa, and Niger.
In a statement on Sunday, FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, provided details of the rescue operation. The victims were saved through the collaborative efforts of the FCT anti-kidnapping squad and Nigerian Army troops.
SP Adeh stated, “The operatives successfully rescued the victims around Kajuru forest in Kaduna state at about 11:30 pm on Saturday, January 20, 2024.”
Commending the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, for deploying the newly commissioned Special Intervention Squad, which bolstered the existing security architecture in the FCT, Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Haruna Garba, reiterated the command’s commitment to maintaining robust security deployment for peace in the area and other parts of the Territory.
The people of FCT were encouraged to promptly report suspicious activities through designated emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883, with the PCB hotline being 09022222352.
