By Abdallah el-Kurebe
#TrackNigeria With the assistance of vigilante groups, the Zamfara State Police Command has secured the release of 40 kidnap victims that were held by bandits in various hideouts.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Mohammed Shehu made available to Newsdiaryonline Friday, the release was facilitated through peace agreement by the state government and the Police Command.
While Governor Bello Matawalle extended amnesty to bandits that surrendered their weapons and embrace peace, the Police Command asked repentant bandits that had victims in their captivity to release them.
As a result, 25 Fulani herdsmen both men, women and children were released in Dansadau Emirate of Maru local government area.
Shehu added that 15 other victims were rescued by the police from the hands of bandits operating in Shinkafi local government area of the state.
“Today being 5th of July 2019, the Commissioner of police Zamfara State Command, CP Usman Nagogo, has once again perfected the release of fifteen (15) kidnapped victims from the hands of armed bandits in Shinkafi LGA.
“It will be recalled that yesterday 25 Fulani’s abducted by Yansakai volunteer group since on the 9th of April, 2019 were successfully released to the Commissioner of Police who later handed them over to the state executive governor,” he stated.
The National Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Mohammed Kiruwa in a telephone interview with Newsdiaryonline said he was confident that all kidnapped persons held by the bandits would be released.
Receiving the victims from the Commissioner of Police, Matawalle commended the Police for their commitment towards ensuring peace in Zamfara.
He also described the release of the kidnapped persons as a sign that the peace process was succeeding and urged for continued support and prayers from the people of the state.
The governor directed the Government House Clinic to check the medical statuses of the victims and said the state government would organise a ceremony that would bring the Fulani, vigilante members and other people to witness the handing over of the victims to their respective families to further demonstrate that the peace process was working.
One of the rescued victims, Haruna Na-Hantsi wa a national of the neighbouring state of Maradi in Niger Republic.
Another victim, Ibrahim Mohammed Moriki, a Community Health Worker attached to Kuturu Primary Healthcare Center said he was kidnapped by bandits over 20 days ago while some of those rescued along with him had spent more than two months in the hands of the bandits before he joined them.
He informed the governor that they were released from a village called Kagara in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State before they were brought to the Gusau Government House.
