Abductors flee with 4 students as army rescue 10 in gun battle

Combined armed military men have  rescued students of Government Secondary School, Gwagwada community in Chikun local government area of Kaduna state from the hands of abductors after a fierce gun battle.

Military sources said ten students were rescued while four students were still with the Kidnappers.

However, military authorities confirmed that the students of Government Day Secondary School Gwagwada community that were abducted Thursday morning were rescued by the troops of Operation Thunder Strike.

A statement by the Deputy Director Army Public Relations One Division Nigerian Army, Colonel E D Idimah 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.

According to Idimah, “The troops are currently combing the entire forest in search of the bandits”, to ensure they are flushed out. In a related development, troops also dealt decisively with the bandits in an ambush at Soho Gaya in  Chikun LGA of Kaduna state. During the ambush, 2 bandits were neutralized while one riffle was recovered.”

The troops were also said to have “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.

“The General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army, Major General 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 also urged the general public to report anybody with gun wound to the security agents around them.”

Meanwhile, the Police Command  has not responded to inquiries by journalists on police WhatsApp platform, in Kaduna on the fate of the four abducted students.

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