Six female students of Government Day Secondary School Gwagwada in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have regained freedom.
Okay.ng understands that the Troops of Operation Thunder Strike rescued the girls on Thursday, October 11.
Col. Ezindu Idimah, the Deputy Director Public Relations of 1Division Nigeria Army Kaduna, disclosed this in a statement to Okay.ng on Thursday night.
Idimah said three motor boys were rescued while four suspected bandits were neutralised by the troops.
He said: “The Troops who were on routine patrol in the general area received information from a reliable source that some bandits terrorizing the Abuja-Kaduna highway have waylaid some students on their way to school and abducted them.
“Troops immediately swung into action and gave the bandits a hot chase.
“On sighting the troops, the bandits engaged them in a firefight but had to surrender to the superior firepower of the troops.
“Following the firefight, one of the bandits was neutralized while the rest scampered into different directions of the forest with gun shot wounds.”
He explained that all the students abducted by the bandits were rescued safely and re-united with their families.
Idimah added that one AK47 rifle with seven rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and a pump action gun with ten cartridges were recovered by the troops.
According to him, the troops are currently combing the entire forest in search of the bandits.
“In a related development, troops also dealt decisively with bandits in an ambush at Soho Gaya in Chikun Local Government Area at about 10 am this morning.
“During the ambush, two bandits were neutralized while one rifle was recovered.
“Additionally, at about 10:45am, troops pursued bandits into one of the forests in Chukun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
“During the pursuit one of the bandits was neutralized while 2 AK 47 riffles, one pump action and 3 Magazines were recovered.
“The success recorded has buoyed up troops morale who expressed enthusiasm in sustaining the onslaught against the bandits and other criminal elements within the Division Area of Responsibility,” Idimah stated.
He added that the General Officer Commanding the Division, Maj.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya has commended the efforts of the troops and urged them to continue to pursue and neutralize bandits in 1 Division area of responsibility.
He urged the general public to report anybody with gun wound to security agents around them
