On June 11, 2025, the Katsina State Police Command announced the rescue of 73 kidnap victims and the arrest of 175 suspected bandits during a month-long operation across 11 local government areas, including Jibia, Batsari, and Safana. Commissioner Aliyu Abubakar-Musa, addressing a press conference in Katsina, detailed the recovery of 1,000 rustled cattle and 50 AK-47 rifles.The operation, supported by the Nigerian Army’s 17 Brigade and local vigilantes, targeted bandit strongholds in the Rugu Forest, a notorious hub for kidnappings plaguing Nigeria’s northwest.
The rescues, conducted between May 1 and June 10, freed victims abducted from communities like Danmusa, where bandits demanded ₦500 million in ransoms, per Katsina’s State Security Service (SSS). Abubakar-Musa credited intelligence from the Department of State Services (DSS) and community informants, noting the dismantling of a bandit logistics network linked to Niger Republic, per Leadership. Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda, who launched the Community Watch Corps in 2024, pledged ₦1 billion for security enhancements, including drone surveillance, per Punch. The Nigerian Police Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun commended the operation, announcing plans to replicate it in Zamfara, per Channels Television.
Amnesty International’s Nigeria Director Isa Sanusi urged prosecution transparency to sustain public confidence, citing past extrajudicial concerns, per The Guardian Nigeria. The Arewa Consultative Forum’s Yerima Shehu praised the rescues but called for socioeconomic interventions, noting 70% youth unemployment in Katsina, per NBS 2023 data. The operation, a response to Nigeria’s 3,000+ kidnappings in 2024, per SBM Intelligence, aligns with federal efforts under President Tinubu to curb insecurity. The success in Katsina, bolstering regional stability, underscores the need for sustained multi-agency collaboration to address Nigeria’s banditry crisis.
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