Bandits flee as police, vigilantes rescue 11 kidnap victims in Niger

Police tactical operatives, working alongside local vigilantes, have rescued 11 kidnap victims following a gun battle with suspected bandits in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.

The incident was revealed in a report by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency and security analyst focused on the Lake Chad region.

According to the report, the operation began around 9:00 pm on July 11 after security personnel received intelligence indicating that armed bandits were moving through the area with abducted victims and stolen cattle.

Makama stated that the joint security team intercepted the suspects near Mangoro Village in Mariga LGA, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

“The security team intercepted the bandits near Mangoro Village in Mariga LGA, where they engaged the criminals in a fierce exchange of gunfire,” the report stated.

The report further noted that the bandits fled into the surrounding bush after the confrontation, abandoning the kidnapped victims, who were subsequently rescued without injuries.

The rescued individuals were identified as Alhaji Sale, Muhammadu, Abubakar Ibrahim, Naziru Hamza, Ali Ibrahim, Abubakar Mohd, Ibrahim Abubakar, Dan Asabe Garba, Yunusa Musa, Musa Peter, and Bilyaminu Ibrahim. They are all residents of Beri, Dogon-Fadama, and Kagara communities.

Makama added that the victims have since been reunited with their families.

He also noted that security operatives have continued surveillance and combing operations in the area to track down the fleeing suspects and recover the stolen cattle.