Thirteen kidnapped persons were on Wednesday rescued by troops in Gwagwada, Chikun local government area of Kaduna State.
The victims from Dutse had gone to work at one Tanadi Farm, located around Bakin Kasuwa in Gwagwada general area of Chikun local government area when they were abducted.
The state Commissioner, Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, in a statement explained that the victims were attacked by the armed bandits in the process.
He said with credible intelligence, the troops trailed the bandits to a forest near Bana village and there engaged them in a gun duel and the 13 citizens were rescued.
The statement gave the names of the rescued persons as Kenth Yusuf, Izra Ali, Josiah Luka, Istifanus Suman, Helen Ibrahim, Justina Gofwen, Ibrahim Madaki, Biyaya Yusuf, Sani Bello, Lucy Dada, Anayi Ezekiel, Benjiman Daniel and Musa Usman.
According to the statement, the troops after the operations discovered that the bandits had shot two volunteers before their arrival namely, Ezekiel Iliya and Nasara Yohanna.
It further explained that the bandits burnt a church and looted some houses in the area.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai, while receiving the report, thanked the troops and commended them for the successful rescue operation.
Gov. El-Rufai, however, commiserated with the families of the deceased volunteers, and prayed for the repose of their souls.
The Governor extended his sympathy to the leadership and members of the razed church over the unfortunate attack, and directed the State Emergency Management Agency to conduct an immediate assessment of the damage done.
