The Katsina State Police Command has confirmed the release of 28 children, who were abducted in Kasai Village in the Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State on Monday, April 1, 2024.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that 30 children were kidnapped by suspected bandits at Kasai village. However, the police later said 28 children were kidnapped.
Residents of the area claimed that the fresh attack took place in the early hours of Monday.
Batsari is one of several local government areas in Katsina State where activities of bandits, and other criminal elements have been on the increase.
One of the residents told Channels TV that the children were intercepted and kidnapped by the hoodlums while they were searching for firewood to cook.
But speaking to SaharaReporters on the phone, the state police command’s spokesman, ASP Abubakar Sadiq, confirmed the release of the children.
Sadiq said the children had since been reunited with their families after a medical check-up.
Giving details, Sadiq said: “On April 1, 2024, around 10:30 am, some children, about 28 of them went to the outskirts of their village – Kasai in Batsari LGA to fetch firewood from the forest and they were accosted and kidnapped by the bandits.
“Upon the receipt of the report, the commissioner of police deployed operatives to the scene to rescue the victims of the kidnap incident.
“Glory be to God that with contact, efforts and pressures mounted on the abductors, they finally released the victims, and they were rescued.”
He added, “Upon taking them to the hospital for medical check-up, the doctors confirmed the victims were sound and they have since been reunited with their families.”
The command’s spokesman, however, noted that while a manhunt for the bandits was still on, concerted efforts were being made to upscale security arrangements in strategic locations around the scene and neighbouring communities within the command.
