The Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police Force have given conflicting figures on the number of rescued students of Hizburrahim Islamiyya, Mahuta village, Dandume LGA of Katsina State.

The rescue was said to have taken place on Saturday. While the police said they rescued 80 pupils, 12 cows; the army said it rescued 39 girls and eight cows.

The police in their statement said, “On 19/12/2020 at about 2200hrs, a distress call was received by DPO Dandume, that some Islamiyya Students of Hizburrahim Islamiyya, Mahuta village, Dandume LGA of Katsina state, numbering about eighty (80), while on their way back from Maulud Occassion celebrated at Unguwan Alkasim village, Dandume to Mahuta, were accosted by bandits who had already kidnapped four(4) persons and rustled twelve (12) cows from Danbaure village, Funtua LGA, trying to escape into the forest.

According to Command spokesman SP Gambo Isa, “On receipt of the report, the DPO led Operations Puff Adder, Sharan Daji and a vigilante group to the area and engaged the bandits into a fierce gun duel.

“Subsequently, the teams succeeded in dislodging the bandits and rescued all the kidnapped victims and recovered all the twelve rustled cows. Search parties are still combing the area with a view of arresting the injured bandits and/or recovery of their dead bodies. Investigation is on-going.”

The army on the other hand, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, DMO, Major General John Eneche, stated that: “On 19 December 2020 at about 1030 pm, troops deployed at Dandume village received credible intelligence that suspected bandits moving with suspected rustled cattle intercepted and abducted some Islamiyya school children mostly girls returning to Mahuta village from Maulud programme at Unguwar al-Kasim village in Dandume LGA, Katsina State. Troops in conjunction with the Police and vigilantes from Mahuta village immediately mobilised to the scene.

“Troops encountered the bandits at Unguwar Audu village and engaged them in a fierce battle who escaped with gunshot wounds and abandoned the kidnapped children and rustled cattle. Troops rescued 39 girls and recovered 8 rustled cattle with no casualty on troops and the kidnapped victims. All kidnapped are back to their homes in good health.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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