The Police Command in Zamfara, says it has rescued 24 persons, including five students, kidnapped while writing their Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) in Shinkafi Local Government Area of the state.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ayuba Elkanah, stated this while handing over the rescued victims to state government on Tuesday in Gusau.

Elkanah said that the police operatives deployed to various locations in the state succeeded in rescuing the kidnapped victims.

Among those rescued, he said, were four students of Government Secondary School, Birnin Yero, who were writing their SSCE examination and one other student of Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda.

“On Nov. 22, at about 1900hrs, Police Tactical Operatives deployed on Shinkafi axis, while on search and rescue operations, with regard to abduction of the students and other victims, acted on intelligence and rescued the students, along with eight others.

“The victims, who spent 60 days in captivity, have now been rescued unconditionally,” Elkanah said.

He said that they would undergo medical checks and police debriefings before being handed over to the state government to be re-united with their families.

The police commissioner also said that the police tactical team deployed on Gusau-Tsafe-Funtua road, on Nov. 22, succeeded in rescuing 11 passengers abducted by armed bandits while travelling in the night.

He added that the travellers were plying the road at about 11.30 pm. in two Golf 3 vehicles, with registration numbers: AE 535 ARG and GUS 274 XF.

Elkanah, however, stated that all the rescued travellers had been debriefed and reunited with their families.

“I want use this opportunity to warn members of the public, especially travellers and commercial drivers, that the order of the state government restricting movement of travellers in to the state at night time is still in force.

“Considering the time and period in which the bandits block the road and abduct innocent people, the command, under my watch, will arrest and prosecute any person or group of persons found violating this order,” Elkanah said.

Receiving the victims on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara commended the police and other security agencies for the efforts.

Dosara appreciated the synergy between the state government and the security agencies in fight against insecurity in the state.

He said that the recent measures by the state government had yielded results in reducing criminality in the state.

The police boss assured the security agencies of government’s partnership in the quest to restore law and order in the state.