The police officers recently abducted while on their way to Zamfara State for a special assignment, have regained their freedom.
The officers were abducted along Katsina-Zamfara road.
The Force spokesperson, Frank Mba, announced their release in the first official statement by the Force on the incident, on Friday evening.
Mba explained that the silence had been deliberate on the part of the Force as they had been on a covert operation to rescue the officers.
The statement read in part: “The Nigeria Police have successfully rescued Nine (9) Police Officers who earlier went missing on 8th November, 2020 between Kankara town and Sheme in Katsina State after the night commercial bus they were travelling in came under attack by heavily armed men, all dressed in Military Camouflage, but suspected to be bandits.
“The officers, all Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs), were on their way to Gusau in Zamfara State from Maiduguri at the time of the incident. Two of the officers are currently receiving medical attention in a hospital, while the remaining seven are being debriefed.
“Covert operation to locate and rescue the officers commenced immediately they were discovered missing en-route to their destination. Thus, the apparent delay in commenting on the unfortunate incident was a deliberate decision aimed at protecting the integrity and confidentiality of the rescue operation and the concomitant safety of the officers.”
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He said the preliminary investigation showed that the attack on the vehicle was not targeted as the officers were all travelling in mufti, unarmed and alongside other private citizens in the commercial vehicle.
“Follow-up investigation into the incident is still ongoing. Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni reassures Nigerians that the Force is working assiduously to ensure an improved safety and tactical presence of police personnel on our highways as the yuletide approaches,” Mba stated.
Meanwhile, the statement was silent on the details of the rescue and whether the kidnappers were arrested or not.
