How 62 Kidnap Victims Regained Freedom as Air Force Pounds Bandit Camp in Katsina
At least 62 kidnapped victims regained their freedom on Saturday evening after a coordinated Nigerian Air Force (NAF) strike on a notorious bandit camp in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State triggered a mass escape.
According to the Katsina State Government, the victims, who had been held hostage by the gang of wanted bandit kingpin, Muhammadu Fulani, broke free when NAF fighter jets targeted the group’s hideout at Jigawa Sawai, a community bordering Zamfara State.
The air raid, conducted at about 5:10 p.m., sent the bandits fleeing in disarray, leaving behind their captives. Seizing the opportunity, the victims scattered in different directions to escape their captors.
Witness accounts from some of the rescued revealed that Fulani’s men abandoned the camp immediately the first rounds of air bombardment hit, creating a narrow window for escape. “We all ran as the bombs fell; some went towards the bush, others towards the road,” one of the survivors recounted.
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Authorities confirmed that 12 of the escapees are currently receiving medical treatment at Matazu General Hospital for exhaustion and injuries sustained while fleeing. Another 16 victims were received at the Army Forward Operating Base in Kaiga Malamai, where they are being profiled before reuniting with their families.
Most of the freed victims had been abducted from Sayaya village during a night raid by Fulani’s gang on Monday, August 11. The group, notorious for attacks across Matazu, Kankia, Dutsinma, and parts of Kano State, has long terrorized rural communities through kidnappings, extortion, and violent raids.
In response to the incident, the Katsina State Government announced the deployment of the Nigerian Air Force Quick Response Wing to volatile areas of Matazu and Bakori Local Government Areas to restore calm and prevent retaliatory attacks.
Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasir Mu’azu, assured residents that security forces remain on ground to track the fleeing bandits and secure more possible rescues. He noted that the general security situation in the affected communities is “calm but under close monitoring.”
Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, in a statement, commended the gallantry of the Air Force and ground troops, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to ending banditry and ensuring the safe return of all kidnapped persons.
Families of the escapees have been assured that their loved ones will be reunited with them after completing necessary medical and security procedures.
