The Kaduna State Police Command has denied reports that armed bandits abducted several persons along the Kaduna-Abuja highway.
ASP Mansur Hassan, Public Relations Officer of the Command, in a statement on Wednesday, warned newsmen to always verify information before going to the press to avoid misleading the public.
Explaining what happened, the statement said, “There was a heavy gun duel along Kaduna-Abuja expressway between security operatives and armed bandits on the 6th January, 2024 at 2330 hours or thereabout.
“The incident occurred when the armed bandits in large number attempted to cross the said expressway at Dogon Fili area heading towards Jere axis and were engaged in a fierce shoot-out by the well alerted security agents who dislodged the hoodlums and ensured a lot of them only escaped but with gunshot wounds.”
The statement further called on the public around that axis to be on the watch for any person or persons nursing suspected bullet injuries and report same to the closest Police station or any security outfit.
“In the course of the battle commuters plying the highway were caught in a crossfire, and six persons sustained varying degrees of bullet injuries.
“They are: Jibrin Tasiu ‘M’ 27 years old; Jummai Abubakar ‘F’ 20 years; Zafira Abubakar ‘F’ 11 years and AbdulKarim Nurudeen ‘M’ 2 years. Others are L/Cpl Chinedu Jerry Moneke 37 years and Ayo James ‘M’ 42 years old. They were all rushed to the hospital for medical attention,” the statement said.
The Police Command described the development as “an unfortunate isolated incident in a long time”, noting that the Kaduna-Abuja expressway has since been fortified for the use of commuters.
It urged the general public to disregard the “misleading fear inducing story”.
“The Commissioner of Police Kaduna State Command, CP A.D. Ali, psc is calling on journalists to always verify their story with concerned security agencies before going to press.
“This, he said will ensure that only the right and correct information are availed to the public,” the statement added.
Police debunk reports of abduction of travellers on Kaduna-Abuja highway