Security Operatives in Kaduna have rescued a Catholic Church Priest from kidnappers’ den, while two bandits were arrested with arms and ammunition.

Confirming the development, spokesperson for Kaduna State Police Command, Mansur Hassan, said operatives attached to Kafanchan Divisional Headquarters on November 4, at about 1:00 a.m., acted on a reported distress situation from Godo-godo Police Outstation, and rescued the priest, Rev. Fr. Andrew Amana of St. Francis Catholic Church Godo-godo in Jema’a Local Council, who was earlier abducted by unidentified gunmen and whisked to an unknown place.

He said: “Operatives in conjunction with local vigilantes trailed the gunmen to their hideout in the vast Dogon Kurmi forest where a gun duel ensued.

The operatives successfully dislodged the hoodlums and rescued the clergyman unhurt.

“Two suspects, Lawal Muhammad, 27, and Ya’u Hussain, 30, both males of Datti and Dogon Kurmi villages respectively, were arrested”.

“An AK-47 rifle loaded with two rounds of live 7.62 X 39mm ammunition was recovered from the said suspects.”

According to Hassan, a preliminary investigation revealed that the armed hoodlums, who abducted the reverend father had already agreed a N4 million ransom with the victim’s family before the police struck.

“The gunmen were four in number; two are still at large, though strongly suspected to be nursing gunshot wounds from the violent combat. Hence, the Police Command is calling on the public around that axis to be on the watch for any person or persons nursing suspected bullet injuries and report same to the closest Police station or any security outfit.

“The Commissioner of Police Kaduna State Command, Musa Yusuf Garba, while commending operatives for the recorded success, charged them not to relent in denying criminal elements in the state of any operating space.

“He again called on the members of the public to always be on the lookout for suspicious characters in their area and report them to any nearest security agency,” he said.