Police Rescue Three Teenagers in Zamfara Forest Months After Abduction

The Zamfara State Police Command has rescued three kidnapped teenagers who escaped from their captors in Zamfara State.

The rescue was disclosed in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Yazid Abubakar, and made available to journalists on behalf of the Commissioner of Police.

According to the statement, the victims were rescued on May 31 during a confidence-building patrol conducted in the Bingi Forest area of Maru Local Government Area.

The police said the operation was carried out by a joint security team comprising personnel of the 42 Police Mobile Force Motorcycle Patrol Unit, the Violence Crime Response Unit and members of the Community Protection Guard.

The rescued victims were identified as Yusuf Ibrahim, 15; Basiru Yusuf, 17; and Mubarak Ibrahim, 18.

Police said the teenagers were found wandering in the forest and were immediately taken into protective custody.

During debriefing, the victims reportedly told security operatives that they had been abducted in February 2026 from Marabe Village in the Kwaren Ganuwa District of Tsafe Local Government Area.

According to the statement, the trio managed to escape from their abductors before encountering the joint patrol team in the forest.

The victims were subsequently taken to a government hospital, where they received medical attention and were later discharged.

Following their treatment, they were handed over to the Chairman of Maru Local Government Area, Muhammad Bello Jabaka, for reunification with their families.

The police command said the rescue was part of ongoing efforts to secure the release of persons held captive by criminal groups and discourage the payment of ransom.

It also urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with credible and timely information to aid the fight against banditry and other crimes across the state.