Police rescue 11 kidnapped passengers in Katsina, recover 25 stolen cows

Police in Katsina State have rescued 11 passengers who were kidnapped by armed bandits along the Sheme-Kankara Road in Kankara Local Government Area.

The Katsina State Police Command said the victims were travelling to Kano in a Toyota Hiace bus when the attackers stopped the vehicle at Kakumi Village on the night of May 18, 2026.

According to the police spokesman, Abubakar Sadiq, officers quickly moved to the scene after receiving a distress call and exchanged gunfire with the kidnappers.

He said, “All the 11 abducted passengers were rescued unhurt, while intensive bush combing is ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.”

In another operation the same evening, police also recovered 25 cows stolen by suspected bandits in Badawa Village, Malumfashi area of the state.

The command said patrol teams intercepted the suspects along their escape route, forcing them to abandon the animals after a gun battle.

Police confirmed that all the recovered cows were returned to their owners.

Katsina Commissioner of Police, Ali Umar Fage, praised the officers involved in the operations and assured residents that the command would continue its fight against banditry and kidnapping across the state.