Troops of Operation Forest Sanity have reportedly rescued 16 people in an operations spanning Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Road and a location in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday in Kaduna.
Aruwan also confirmed that three suspected bandits have been neutralised and three firearms, one explosive and 11 motorcycles recovered.
The statement also disclosed that troops of Operation Forest Sanity also responded to a distress call from Gonan Doctor village, Igabi LGA, and laid ambush at a likely crossing point in Maraban Huda village.
It said contact was made with the bandits, and following a firefight, one bandit was neutralised.
He said a kidnapped victim was rescued, but was however injured by the bandits, and was rushed to the Jaji Cantonment Hospital for treatment adding that one motorcycle was recovered in the operation.
Aruwan further disclosed that in response to credible intelligence of bandits’ movement around an interstate boundary area, troops of Operation Forest Sanity set up ambush positions around Mangoro general area around Chikun-Birnin Gwari LGA, on the boundary with Shiroro LGA of neighbouring Niger State.
The troops he said engaged the approaching bandits and neutralised two.
He said one AK47 rifle, one pump action gun, one Improvised Explosive Device, one Baofeng Radio, and 10 motorcycles were recovered.