Armed men suspected to be bandits have abducted two passengers and injured a driver in an attack along the Karaduwa–Matazu Road in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The incident occurred at about 11 a.m. on Saturday when the attackers intercepted a red Peugeot 406 vehicle and opened fire on its occupants.
Confirming the development on Sunday, the Katsina State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, said the driver, Abdullahi Sa’id, sustained a gunshot wound to his right arm during the assault.
According to him, the gunmen forcefully whisked away two passengers identified as Abdullahi Batsari and Amina Abdullahi before security operatives arrived at the scene.
He explained that following a distress report, the Divisional Police Officer in Matazu, alongside operatives of the Village Community Response Unit, quickly mobilised to the location, secured the area, and evacuated the injured victim to a medical facility for treatment.
Sadiq-Aliyu added that the Commissioner of Police in Katsina State, Ali Umar-Fage, later visited the scene and ordered the deployment of additional tactical teams to intensify search-and-rescue operations.
He said the reinforcement is aimed at ensuring the safe rescue of the abducted victims and the arrest of those responsible for the attack.
The police spokesperson assured residents that efforts were ongoing to track down the suspects, urging the public to provide useful information that could assist security agencies.
He further reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating banditry and restoring security across the state.