Armed bandits intercepted a passenger truck, abducted all the passengers and set the vehicle ablaze in Zamfara State before security forces engaged them in a gun duel and rescued the victims, the Nigeria Police Force has disclosed.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, August 30, 2026, was among a series of operational successes recorded by the Police and other security agencies across several states.
According to the Police, its operatives and other joint security forces responded to the attack and engaged the bandits in a gun battle, forcing them to flee into the forest with suspected gunshot injuries.
All the abducted passengers were subsequently rescued unhurt, while the State Criminal Investigation Department, Gusau, commenced investigation into the incident.
In a related operation in Kogi State, joint security forces rescued 21 abducted victims, including 14 National Youth Service Corps members and seven other persons, after engaging suspected kidnappers in a gun duel in a forest behind Agumi.
The Police said the security forces’ superior firepower forced the kidnappers to flee, allowing the victims to be rescued. The rescued persons were debriefed and their statements obtained, while those who sustained injuries were taken to hospital for treatment. The SCID, Lokoja, is investigating the case.
Security forces also disrupted an attempted cattle-rustling operation by armed bandits at Sha’iskawa Village in Katsina State.
Police personnel attached to the Vigilance Response Crime Unit, working with vigilantes, reportedly engaged the bandits in a gun duel and forced them to flee.
The fleeing suspects were later re-engaged at Karofawa Village and flushed out, with some believed to have sustained gunshot injuries. The Police said no casualty or loss of property was recorded.
In Plateau State, police operatives arrested a suspected criminal, identified as Buba Abdulkarim, during a sting operation at Gwaram Village in Wase Local Government Area.
The operation, which was based on credible intelligence, led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle loaded with two rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition. The Police said efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the gang who fled the scene.
Similarly, two suspects, including 27-year-old Chikwado Precious, were arrested in Umuahia, Abia State, after police operatives received intelligence that suspected hoodlums had assembled to carry out criminal activities.
A locally made pistol allegedly concealed inside a Chevrolet car was recovered, while the suspects and vehicle were taken into police custody.
In Bayelsa State, police operatives recovered a locally made revolver pistol loaded with three rounds of live ammunition after armed persons invaded a residence while searching for a particular individual.
The suspects fled when they saw the responding police team, and one of them abandoned a black handbag during the chase. The bag contained the firearm, ammunition, a power bank, and a lighter.
Oyo State also recorded arrests following a violent youth clash involving gunfire in the Mapo area of Ibadan on August 30.
One person was fatally shot while another sustained injuries. Police operatives arrested three suspects and recovered two empty cartridges, one live cartridge, and a pump-action rifle allegedly belonging to one of the suspects. The SCID in Ibadan is investigating the incident.
Also in Oyo State, police arrested a suspect in connection with the fatal machete attack on Suleiman Haruna during a naming ceremony. Police operatives led by the DPO of Okaka visited the scene and the hospital following the incident as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the killing continued.
The Police said the operations formed part of its ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping, banditry, cattle rustling, violent crime and other security threats across the country.
