A combined team of security operatives on Saturday rescued 80 abducted pupils of Hizburrahim Islamiyya, an Islamic school in Mahuta, Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State.

This was made public in a statement issued on Sunday in Katsina by the Police Public Relations Officer in Katsina State, Gambo Isah.

The statement said in part: “On 19/12/2020 about 2200hrs, a distress call was received by DPO Dandume that some Islamiyya students of Hizburrahim Islamiyya, Mahuta village, Dandume, Katsina state, numbering about 80, while on their way back from Maulud occasion celebrated at Unguwan-Alkasim, Dandume to Mahuta, were accosted by bandits.

” The bandits had already kidnapped four persons and rustled 12 cows from Danbaure village, Funtua, and were trying to escape with them into the forest.

“On receipt of the report, the DPO led Operations Puff Adder, Sharan Daji and  Vigilante group to the area and engaged the bandits in a fierce gun duel.”

The statement said the team succeeded in dislodging the bandits and rescued all the kidnapped victims as well as recovered all the 12 rustled cows.

It said search parties are still combing the area with a view to arresting the injured bandits or recovering dead bodies while investigation is on-going.

Just a few days ago, 344 students kidnapped from a secondary school in Kankara, Katsina State, were successfully rescued without the loss of any of them.(NAN