The Defence Headquarters says the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji in conjunction with Nigeria Police and local vigilante on Saturday, rescued 39 children of Islamiya from bandits in Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche in a statement, however, said the children were returning from Maulud programme at Unguwar Al-Kasim village when they were kidnapped.
But, the Katsina State Police spokesman Gambo Isah had earlier announced in a statement that the operatives rescued 80 abducted pupils of Hizburrahim Islamiyya and 12 cattle from bandits on Saturday night.
Enenche said the troops received a distress call at about 11:30p.m. on Saturday from locals at Mahuta village that suspected bandits were moving with unconfirmed numbers of Islamiya children mostly girls and rustled cattle.
He said the troops mobilised to the scene, laid ambush and blocked bandits’ route along Daudawa-Kadisau road, Sheme Mairuwa and Unguwar Audu village.
