By Xinhua
Nigerian police said on Tuesday 100 people kidnapped by bandits in June from a village in the northwestern state of Zamfara have been freed after being held in captivity for more than a month.
Mohammed Shehu, the spokesman for Zamfara police, told reporters in a press briefing in Gusau, the state capital, that the police in collaboration with other security agencies secured the “unconditional release” of the 100 victims who were abducted by bandits on June 8 from Manawa village of Maru local government area of the state.
“We talked with the bandits that had kidnapped them and at the end of the dialogue, they agreed to release them without paying the ransom,” Shehu said.
He said the released victims, including nursing mothers and children, will be medically checked and debriefed before being reunited with their respective families.
The police spokesperson called on local residents to support the police and other security agencies with credible information about the hideout, movements and other activities of the armed bandits. There have been a series of gunmen attacks in northern Nigeria in recent months, leading to deaths and kidnappings.
