A joint team of security operatives has rescued 21 residents abducted by suspected kidnappers at Byazhin Across in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following a fierce gun battle with the criminals in a forest in neighbouring Niger State.
The Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Miller G. Dantawaye, disclosed this during a briefing to journalists at the police command headquarters in Abuja over the weekend.
According to him, the successful rescue operation was carried out by a combined team of Police Anti-Kidnapping operatives, personnel of the Nigerian Army Guards Brigade, and officers of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Dantawaye explained that the security agencies launched a coordinated search-and-rescue mission after receiving credible intelligence that the kidnappers had fled into forest areas across state boundaries.
He said the suspects, who were under pressure from ongoing security operations in Niger State, moved their victims into the Gidan Dogo and Kweri forests in Kaduna State.
Security operatives eventually tracked the gang to their hideout in Gauraka Forest in Niger State, where they engaged the criminals in a prolonged exchange of gunfire.
According to the police commissioner, the gun battle lasted for over an hour.
“Through superior tactics and firepower, the operatives successfully subdued the kidnappers, neutralizing some of the suspects during the exchange of fire,” he said.
The operation led to the arrest of two suspects identified as Nura Sani and Abdul Bello, while other members of the gang reportedly escaped into nearby hills and forests with gunshot wounds.
Police authorities said the rescued victims comprised 10 males and 11 females, bringing the total to 21.
Dantawaye noted that the victims had been abducted from Byazhin District in the FCT, as well as Gauraka and Tafa communities in Niger State, areas that have in recent months experienced a rise in kidnapping incidents.
During the operation, security personnel also recovered weapons from the suspects. Items seized include one AK-47 rifle (breech number 90-17147), a magazine containing 20 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, and one locally-made firearm.
The Police Commissioner said the rescued victims were immediately taken to the hospital for medical evaluation and treatment following the ordeal.
He also urged journalists and social media users to exercise caution when reporting ongoing security operations.
“The premature or unverified dissemination of such information can endanger the lives of victims and compromise the safety of officers actively involved in rescue missions,” the CP warned.
The rescue operation followed a kidnapping incident that occurred last Friday night when armed men stormed Byazhin Across, a community in the Bwari axis of the FCT, and abducted several residents.
Local sources said at least 16 people were initially taken, including the wife of a local vigilante member.
Communities in Bwari, Tafa, and neighbouring areas of Niger State have in recent years faced repeated attacks by kidnapping gangs operating in forests around the Abuja–Kaduna–Niger corridor.
- Security Operatives Rescue 21 Abducted FCT Residents - March 9, 2026
- Boko Haram Overruns Army Base in Borno, Kills Commanding Officer - March 9, 2026
- Appeal Court Upholds Orders Stopping PDP Ibadan Convention - March 9, 2026