The Katsina State Government says community hunters foiled a planned mass kidnapping in Gidan Wawo village, Kakumi Ward, Bakori Local Government Area, following a gun battle with suspected bandits that left 14 of the attackers dead.

According to the government, intelligence received at about 1:28 a.m. on Friday indicated that 26 heavily armed bandits riding on 13 motorcycles were heading towards Dawan Laila Forest ahead of planned attacks on neighbouring communities.

They were reportedly led by a suspected kingpin, Isiya Kwashen Garwa.

Security agencies subsequently placed all operational assets in Bakori Local Government Area on high alert, disrupting the planned abduction.

However, at about 1:31 p.m. the same day, the bandits attacked a private vehicle conveying four passengers from Kakumi Ward to Illela Market in Sokoto State and set it ablaze, trapping the occupants.

Community hunters from Gidan Wawo were mobilised and engaged the fleeing attackers in a gun battle, killing 14 suspected bandits and rescuing three passengers alive.

The incident claimed the lives of two people: 29-year-old community hunter Mohammed Ibrahim Jidda, who was killed while defending the community, and 50-year-old traveller Jamilu Lawal, the fourth passenger, who died from burns sustained in the vehicle fire.

Another hunter, 25-year-old Usman Sunday, sustained minor gunshot injuries and is receiving medical treatment.

Resident Urged To Remain Calm

The government said intelligence reports indicated possible reprisal following the bandits’ losses. It added that countermeasures had been activated in collaboration with security agencies to prevent further threats.

Commending the security personnel and community hunters for their intervention, the government said their actions prevented what could have been a devastating mass kidnapping.

In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Nasir Mu’azu Danmusa, the government urged residents to remain calm and vigilant and to continue providing timely, credible intelligence to security agencies. It also reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.

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