The four expatriates kidnapped along the Kagarko-Kwoi road in Kaduna State have been freed by their abductors.
The two Americans and two Canadians were abducted Tuesday evening on their way to Abuja, after inspecting some project sites in Kafanchan. Two policemen were shot and killed by the abductors in the process.
The police in Kaduna confirmed the dispatch of special units to Southern Kaduna to investigate the incident and rescue the kidnapped men.
The four men were released Friday evening, just as two members of a notorious gang of kidnappers operating along the Abuja-Kaduna highway were arrested, it was gathered.
The suspects were alleged to have been involved in the abduction of two Canadians and two Americans.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna, ASP Mukhtar Hussaini Aliyu, who confirmed the development to newsmen, provided no details on how they were released.
“The four abducted foreigners comprising two Americans and two Canadians were freed Friday night,” he said.
A German archaeologist and his aide working on an excavation of relics at the popular Nok site were abducted in similar circumstances last year and were released after some days.
Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that the detectives led by Abba Kyari, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, are still combing the bush in search of other fleeing members of the gang.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Moshood Jimoh, who also spoke on the issue, said all the victims were in good health at the time they were handed over to the American Embassy in Abuja.
Jimoh, in a statement said: “combined teams of Intelligence Response Team IRT, Counter Terrorism Unit CTU and Kaduna Police Command, all deployed by IGP Ibrahim k Idris, have rescued the three men and one woman. They are all in fairly good health condition. They were handed over the American Embassy in Abuja around 730am yesterday for medical attention and other immediate needs.”
He said efforts were on to track down other fleeing members of the gang.
