The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says it thwarted a planned attack and attempted kidnapping of children in the Kasuwan Magani area of Kaduna State.
In a statement on Wednesday, Benjamin Hundeyin, the force spokesperson, said that the Kaduna State Police Command received actionable intelligence on Monday about suspected bandits targeting vehicles transporting children through the area.
He said the divisional police officer in Kasuwan Magani immediately deployed officers to the location after receiving the intelligence.
Hundeyin explained that the police team confronted the suspects and successfully prevented the attack.
“On arrival, the police team engaged and successfully repelled the suspected attackers, leading to the rescue of seventy-six (76) children, comprising both males and females, aged between seven (7) and twenty (20) years. All the rescued children were unharmed,” the statement reads.
The police spokesperson said the operatives arrested three suspects identified as Jonathan John, 25; Oliver Magaji, 27; and Bitrus Sawaba, 23 during the operation.
Hundeyin said initial investigations showed that the suspects were transporting the children to various parts of the country for child labour and other forms of domestic work.
He added that the suspects are currently being held in police custody.
According to him, the rescued children have been taken to the command headquarters while efforts are ongoing to locate their parents or guardians.
The force spokesperson noted that investigations have commenced to uncover the full details of the incident and identify other individuals who may be involved.
“The suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations,” Hundeyin said.
Hundeyin urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to support proactive policing efforts.