The Nigeria Police Force successfully foiled an attempted bandit attack in Kasuwan Magani, Kaduna State, rescuing seventy-six (76) children who were being targeted for abduction. The children, both boys and girls, were found unharmed and are currently in safe custody as efforts continue to reunite them with their families.
The daring intervention was confirmed on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, in an official statement by CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the Force Public Relations Officer. He said the operation stemmed from credible intelligence received on January 5, which warned that suspected bandits were preparing to ambush motorists transporting children through the area.
“Upon receipt of the intelligence, the Divisional Police Officer, Kasuwan Magani Division, was promptly mobilised with a team of police personnel to the area,” the statement read. “On arrival, the police team engaged and successfully repelled the suspected attackers, leading to the rescue of seventy-six (76) children, comprising both males and females, aged between seven (7) and twenty (20) years. All the rescued children were unharmed.”
During the coordinated police response, three suspects were arrested at the scene: Jonathan John (25 years old), Bitrus Sawaba (23 years old), Oliver Magaji (27 years old)
Preliminary investigations by the Kaduna State Police Command indicate that the suspects were transporting the children to other parts of the country, allegedly for child labour and domestic work, raising alarm about the broader threat of trafficking networks.
The suspects remain in police custody as further inquiries aim to uncover the full circumstances of the plot and identify any additional collaborators. Authorities have assured that once investigations are concluded, the suspects will be charged in court.
All 76 children are currently being cared for at the Kaduna State Police Command Headquarters, where they are under protection while police work to identify and locate their parents or guardians. The force emphasised that the mission’s success highlights the value of timely and credible community intelligence in preventing violent crime.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to the protection of lives and property and urges members of the public to continue to support the Police with timely and credible information to aid proactive policing,” the force reiterated in its statement.
The incident adds to a series of security operations underway in Kaduna and neighbouring states, where both military and police units have intensified efforts to disrupt kidnapping rings and other criminal enterprises. Recent coordinated military interventions have also seen multiple kidnap victims rescued in Kaduna, demonstrating a heightened commitment to combating insecurity in the northwest region.
Residents and community leaders have welcomed the police action, hoping it signals increased protection for vulnerable populations, particularly children, who have frequently been targets in the region’s persistent kidnapping and banditry crisis.
