Nigerian police rescue 18 kidnapped civilians in northern state

LAGOS, Oct. 14 — Nigerian police have rescued 18 kidnapped civilians after foiling an attack by bandits in the northern state of Katsina, police said Thursday.
Gambo Isah, spokesman for the police in Katsina, said in a statement that bandits invaded Wednesday night the village of Gatakawa in the Kankara local government area of the state, shooting sporadically and intending to take away some villagers.
The police, while responding to a distress call from the village, rushed to the scene and repelled the bandits after engaging them in a gunfight, leading to the successful rescue of all 18 villagers held by the bandits, said Isah.
Two villagers, however, were killed and one more was injured during the attack by the bandits, said the spokesman, adding the police are investigating the motive of the attack.  (Xinhua)