62 kidnap victims escape after Air Force raid in Katsina
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By Ogalah Ibrahim
Sixty-two people kidnapped by armed bandits in north-west Nigeria have escaped following an air strike on their captors’ camp, officials say.
The raid by the Nigerian Air Force targeted the hideout of a notorious bandit leader, Muhammadu Fulani, in Jigawa Sawai, Danmusa local government area of Katsina state, close to the border with Zamfara State.
According to the Katsina state commissioner for internal security, Dr Nasir Mu’azu, the strike, carried out on Saturday evening, forced the bandits to flee, creating an opportunity for their captives to break free.
Twelve of the rescued victims are being treated at Matazu General Hospital, while 16 others are being held at an army forward operating base in Kaiga Malamai.
Survivors told officials that the bandits fled in disarray during the air raid, allowing dozens of hostages to escape in different directions.
Most of the victims were seized on 11 August during a nighttime attack on Sayaya village in Matazu. Fulani’s group has been blamed for a series of assaults across Katsina and neighbouring Kano state.
Dr Mu’azu said an Air Force quick response wing had now been deployed to Matazu and Bakori local government areas to counter persistent attacks.
“Troops are currently monitoring the situation for further rescue operations. The general security situation in the area remains calm,” he said.
He added that the state government would ensure the victims were reunited with their families after they had completed medical checks.
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda praised what he described as the “gallant efforts” of security forces and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ending banditry in the state.
Armed gangs known locally as bandits have carried out mass abductions and deadly raids in north-west and central Nigeria in recent years, targeting villages, schools and highways.
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