Gunmen on Saturday night abducted students of Islamiyya schools in Mahuta town, Dandume LGA, Katsina State.
But they have now been rescued, according to the Nigeria Police Force.
This is coming two days after the release of 344 students of Government Secondary School in Kankara LGA of the state.
The Islamic students were on their way back home after they attended a maulid procession at Unguwar Al-Kasim, a nearby village.
Maulud Nabiyyi is Prophet Mohammad’s birthday.
The students, numbering about 80, were rescued by a combined team of policemen and local vigilante group in the area, according to the police.
It was gathered that the rescue team engaged in a fight with the bandits around 3am and chased them away.
Spokesman for Katsina state police command, Gambo Isah has confirmed the incident.
Isah said the students were accosted by the bandits, who had already kidnapped four (4) persons and rustled twelve (12) cows from Danbaure village in Funtua Local Government Area of the state while trying to escape into the forest.
On receipt of the report, he said, the DPO led Operations “Puff Adder,” Sharan Daji and vigilante group to the area and engaged the bandits into a fierce gun duel.
“Subsequently, the teams succeeded in dislodging the bandits and rescued all the eighty-four (84) kidnapped victims and recovered all the twelve rustled cows. Search parties are still combing the area with a view of arresting the injured bandits and recovery of their dead bodies. An investigation is ongoing,” he said.