Nigeria: Police Rescue 75 Passengers Abducted By Gunmen in Kaduna

What the report says

Police in Kaduna State rescued 75 people who had been abducted from commercial buses in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area, according to Leadership, as carried by AllAfrica. The victims were described as Fulani travellers, including men, women and children. The report said the attack happened on August 19, 2026, near Folwaya Village, when armed men stopped the buses and took the passengers into a forested area.

According to the account cited by Leadership, the kidnappers held the victims in a cave in a mountainous area. The rescue followed what police described as credible information from the Birnin Gwari branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers. A police team from the Birnin Gwari Area Command was then sent to the suspected location.

The article says the officers confronted the area and the kidnappers fled, leaving the captives behind. All 75 people were rescued unharmed. Kaduna police commissioner Rabiu Muhammad praised the transport workers’ union for sharing information and commended the local police for their response. He also urged residents to report suspicious activity quickly and warned against vigilante action, saying it could worsen violence.

The case highlights the continuing security challenge of kidnapping for ransom and attacks on road travelers in parts of northwestern Nigeria, where police and local communities often rely on rapid intelligence to respond to such incidents.