No fewer than three teenage boys who were allegedly abducted have been rescued from the Bingi Forest area of Maru Local Government Area by the Zamfara State Police Command.
The command’s spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, saying the victims were rescued during a joint security patrol after they were found wandering in the forest.
According to the police, the rescued victims are Yusuf Ibrahim, 15; Basiru Yusuf, 17; and Mubarak Ibrahim, 18.
The statement read, “The Zamfara State Police Command, in its sustained efforts to secure the release of all persons held in captivity and discourage the payment of ransom to bandits, has intensified surveillance and confidence-building patrols across the state, resulting in another successful rescue operation.
“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, while conducting confidence-building patrols in the highly vulnerable Bingi Forest area of Maru Local Government Area, intercepted and rescued three persons found wandering in the forest.
“During debriefing, the victims disclosed that they were abducted in February 2026 from Marabe Village in the Kwaren Ganuwa District of Tsafe Local Government Area. They further stated that they managed to escape from their captors and were subsequently found and rescued by the joint security team during the patrol operation.”
The police added that the victims were immediately taken to a government hospital, where they received medical attention before being discharged.
“Thereafter, they were handed over to the Executive Chairman of Maru Local Government Area, Hon. Muhammad Bello Jabaka, for reunion with their respective families,” the statement added.
The command reaffirmed its commitment to restoring peace and security across the state and urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to aid the fight against criminality.
The rescue comes amid growing concerns over the abduction of children across parts of the country.
Recent incidents include the kidnapping 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 abduction of 46 students and teachers in the Oriire area of Oyo State.