The Zamfara State Police Command has refuted a story that 60 passengers travelling along Sokoto – Gusau road on Sunday, 25th July were kidnapped by bandits.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Shehu, in a statement said the story was inaccurate and a calculated attempt by some mischief makers to create fear and apprehension into the minds of the general public, especially the commuters.
“The attention of Zamfara State Police Command has been drawn to a story trending on social and conventional media that armed bandits blocked Sokoto – Gusau Road and abducted 60 people travelling from Sokoto to Abuja.”
The statement said, “For the avoidance of doubt and purpose of clarity, the Command was informed that a large number of armed bandits blocked a Toyota Bus Vehicle, belonging to the Sokoto State Mass Transit and abducted eleven (11) Passengers who were travelling from Sokoto – Abuja along Sokoto – the accurate report of the incident. On Sunday 25th July 2021, Gusau Road in Bakura LGA.”
According to the statement, the Police Tactical operatives attached to Operation Restore Peace were alerted, and they quickly mobilized to the location and dislodged the hoodlums who blocked many vehicles for abduction, adding that the road was instantly cleared for motorists and other road users and reinforced more Police Operatives to improve the security and safety of the commuters.
The statement noted that in the course of mopping up the scene, a Toyota Bus Vehicle belonging to Sokoto State Mass Transit was sighted empty and it was revealed that eleven (11) Passengers including the driver were abducted and taken to the bush before the arrival of the Police.
It said the operatives further embarked on search and rescue operation in the surrounding bush with a view to rescuing the kidnapped victims, stressing that two (2) persons who were left far behind with other hoodlums were abandoned by their captors for fear of being neutralised by the Police operatives, the remaining nine (9) victims were taken to the forest.
The statement explained that the Command is currently employing various search and rescue strategies aimed at rescuing the victims safely.
The Command enjoined members of the public to discountenance the abduction of 60 people and appealed to members of the press to always verify the authenticity of any information that comes their way before going to the public.
