The Zamfara State Police Command has rescued three teenage boys who were allegedly abducted by bandits and held captive for several months in the state.
The victims were rescued during a joint security patrol in the Bingi Forest area of Maru Local Government Area, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the command’s spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar.
The rescued teenagers were identified as Yusuf Ibrahim, 15, Basiru Yusuf, 17, and Mubarak Ibrahim, 18.
Abubakar said the rescue operation was part of the command’s intensified efforts to secure the release of persons held in captivity and discourage the payment of ransom to criminal elements operating across the state.
According to the statement, the successful operation took place on May 31, 2026, at about 1:00 p.m. A joint patrol team comprising personnel of the Motorcycle Patrol Unit of the 42 Police Mobile Force, the Violent Crime Response Unit, and members of the Community Protection Guard discovered the victims while conducting confidence-building patrols in the vulnerable Bingi Forest area.
The police spokesman explained that the teenagers were found wandering in the forest and were subsequently rescued by the security operatives.
During debriefing, the victims revealed that they were abducted in February 2026 from Marabe Village in the Kwaren Ganuwa District of Tsafe Local Government Area.
They told investigators that they had managed to escape from their captors before being encountered by the patrol team.
“The victims disclosed that they were abducted in February 2026 and later escaped from captivity. They were rescued during the patrol operation in the forest,” the statement said.
Following their rescue, the teenagers were taken to a government hospital, where they received medical attention and were later discharged.
The police said the victims were subsequently handed over to the Chairman of Maru Local Government Area, Muhammad Bello Jabaka, for reunification with their families.
The command reaffirmed its commitment to restoring peace and security across Zamfara State and urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information to aid ongoing operations against criminal activities.
The rescue comes amid increasing concerns over the wave of kidnappings involving children and students in different parts of the country.
Recent incidents include the abduction of more than 40 primary and junior secondary school pupils in the Mussa community of Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, as well as the kidnapping of 46 students and teachers in the Oriire area of Oyo State
