Telecoms Shutdown: 200 Kidnapped Victims Rescued, 21 Bandits Arrested In Zamfara

The Zamfara Police Command says it has rescued 200 abducted victims in the state. 

The command disclosed this in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Muhammed Shehu, on Saturday. 

The police noted that the development was as a result of an ongoing onslaught against bandits and criminal elements in the state. 

“Fortunately, attacks, killings and abduction have reduced drastically,” Shehu said. 

According to the command, 21 bandits have been arrested, five were killed and four attacks have been repelled so far. 

The police credited the achievements to the recent security measure by the state government, where telecommunications networks were shut down in the state. 

The telecoms shutdown, lifted on Friday, according to Shehu, has “assisted in no small measures towards denying the recalcitrant bandits access to food supply, fuel supply, Indian hemp/other hard drugs supply and other essential services that are inevitable to their survival. 

“Similarly, payment of ransom to bandits by the relations of the kidnapped victims has now stopped due to the effective enforcement of the security measures where communication between the bandits and their informants became impossible. 

“Under this situation, kidnapped victims have now become liabilities for the bandits and are being released unconditionally following an extensive search and rescue operations”. 

The police further added that they have curtailed the rampant cases of abduction, armed robbery, car snatching, burglary and housebreaking and other heinous crimes in the state. 

“Many informants to the Bandits were arrested, investigated and prosecuted,” the police said.