The Bauchi State Police Command has rescued two teenage girls who were abducted by kidnapers and also arrested the perpetrators of the unlawful act.
The command disclosed that the teenagers simply identified as Aisha and Zainab, both of age 13, were rescued alive during an intelligence-led operation that uncovered their whereabouts, leading to the arrests of the suspects l, Auwal Muhammad and Abdulgaffar Musa, both aged 20, have been taken into custody for their roles in the incident
The complaint that triggered the investigation was initially lodged by the 57-year-old father of one of the victims after the girls disappeared from Fangari Hamlet in the Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State.
Further police inquiries led operatives to Bara Town in Kirfi Local Government Area of Bauchi State, where the two teenagers were eventually found and rescued.
A statement released by the police command last night stated that the case began after the father of one of the girls reported that both had left home and could not be located despite extensive efforts by family members to find them.
Upon the alert, police investigators later traced the girls to a Bauchi community where they were discovered and safely recovered.
Preliminary findings indicated that the suspects allegedly coordinated the movement of the minors from their home community without obtaining consent from their parents.
The police statement added that the successful rescue was the result of sustained intelligence gathering and collaboration among officers handling the case.
Meanwhile, arrangements are being made to reunite the girls with their parents, while the matter has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and prosecution.
Commenting on the development, the Commissioner of Police, Sani Aliyu, warned that the command would not tolerate child abduction, exploitation, or any crime targeting minors.
Aliyu stressed that the police force remain committed to protecting vulnerable persons and ensuring that anyone involved in crimes against children is brought to justice.
He also urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children and promptly report suspicious movements or activities to security agencies.