A yet-to-be-identified hunter has been gunned down by bandit kidnappers during a joint operation with the Police while four abducted victims were rescued in Chukuku forest in the Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
The FCT Commissioner of Police (CP) Sunday Babaji, who disclosed the incident to journalists at the Police Command headquarters in Abuja, on Wednesday said the operation was carried out following credible information about the movement of some suspected bandits holding some victims hostage at Dadu Hill.
He said it was upon receiving the information that the police command in a concerted effort with members of the Destiny Hunters stormed Dadu Hills, through Chukwuku village to engage the bandits in a fierce gun battle.
Moreso, the CP said it was during the crossfire that one of the hunters fell by the bullet of the bandits as he noted that the bandit’s hideout was dislodged while four abducted victims in captivity were rescued unhurt.
According to him, the joint operation was carried out at about 06:00hrs on Tuesday and he gave the names of the rescued victims as Mustahudeen Sani, Felix Vaa, Adamu Isah and Abdulsalam Uzugi.
“And all the victims who were reportedly kidnapped between the 23rd and 25th of May 2022 at Kiyi while one of them, Abdulsalam Uzugi, was kidnapped at Anguwan Gade extension of Kuje Area council,” he said.
CP Sunday, however, said some of the bandits escaped with various degrees of gunshot injuries owing to the superior firepower of the joint team.
He said the victims were taken to the hospital for medical examination and subsequently reunited with their families.
The police commissioner, while extending his condolences to the family of the deceased hunter, reassured residents of the command’s unflinching commitment to riding the territory of crime and criminality.
He, therefore, urged residents of the FCT to remain vigilant, and strengthen their partnership with the police as touching the rendition of prompt and actionable intelligence by reporting any suspicious or abnormal occurrence through the command emergency lines through; 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883.