TheCable

Security operatives have rescued seven persons kidnapped on Kaduna-Abuja expressway on Sunday.

The victims were travelling from Offa, Kwara state to Kaduna state when they were abducted.

They, however, regained freedom on the third day in captivity.

Commenting on their rescue, Ibrahim Gambari, force commander, Operation Thunder Strike, a joint military outfit, said his men freed the captives at Rijana village along the Kaduna-Abuja highway in Kachia local government area of Kaduna.

He said the troops recovered ammunition and mobile devices from the kidnappers.

“We recovered two AK47, 130 rounds of ammunition, five magazines, two mobile phones, N100,000 and three camouflages,” he said.

Gambari, a colonel, said the victims would be handed over to the Kaduna state government for further action.

He said the Thunder Strike is a defence headquarters led operation comprising of army, navy, air force, police, DSS and NSCDC with a mission to halt incessant killings and kidnapping on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.

“Since the inception of the operation we have been trying our best to put an end to ugly incidences that have been occurring on the high way,” he said.

“We have been able to nip it in the bud, such incidences and most of the cases that were recorded usually happen in the night and that is why the Kaduna state government stopped the mounting of road blocks along the road.

“Based on the report on the incident by the police on Sunday, we have been working tirelessly to ensure that the innocent civilians rejoin their families and in the process, we lost one of our sources who give us information.”

The name of the victims are Aisha Bisola, Ahmad Abdulrafiu, Maryam Abubakar, Suleiman Kadoka, Lawal Temitope, Bala Abdullahi, and Abdulrazak Okunola.

Gambari urged commuters to avoid travelling at night in a bid to prevent abduction.