No fewer than 62 people abducted by bandits in Katsina State have regained their freedom after a precision airstrike on their captors’ hideout forced the criminals to flee, the state government confirmed on Monday.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasir Mu’azu, said the operation was carried out around 5:10 p.m. on Saturday, targeting the camp of notorious bandit leader, Muhammadu Fulani, at Jigawa Sawai in Danmusa Local Government Area, near the Zamfara border.

According to him, the bombardment threw the bandits into disarray, creating an opportunity for the captives to break loose and scatter in different directions.

“The Katsina State Government has confirmed the dramatic escape of 62 kidnapped victims following a manhunt of a notorious bandit, Muhammadu Fulani, by the Nigerian Air Force that had a successful strike on his camp located in Jigawa Sawai of Danmusa Local Government Area,” Mu’azu said in a statement.

He disclosed that 12 of the freed victims are receiving treatment at Matazu General Hospital, while 16 others are being cared for at an Army forward operating base in Kaiga Malamai.

Abduction Background

Preliminary debriefings with the escapees revealed that most of them had been kidnapped during a nighttime raid on Sayaya village in Matazu LGA on August 11, carried out by Fulani’s gang, which has also terrorised neighbouring communities in Kankia, Dutsinma, and parts of Kano State.

Security Response

Mu’azu added that a Quick Response Wing of the Nigerian Air Force has now been deployed to Matazu and Bakori Local Government Areas to stabilise the region and support further rescue operations.

He assured residents that security forces remain on the ground to monitor the situation, stressing that the government would continue to prioritise the safety of citizens.