About fifteen persons were allegedly kidnapped by armed bandits at Gauraka in Angwan-wazobia, Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State.
It was gathered that the incident happened on Sunday night.
The bandits were said to have moved from house to house and forcefully dragged victims out of their homes.
It was learnt that this is coming shortly after last Thursday’s abduction of about 20 children around the area while they were on their way home after closing from an Islamiya (Islamic) school.
Eyewitness account said as a result of the attacks on the area, angry youths on Monday morning blocked the major Kaduna-Abuja express road in protest to draw the attention of the government to the recent happenings in the area.
It was gathered that among the victims of yesterday night’s kidnap was a pregnant woman.
The bandits purportedly stormed her home at about 6pm carried her away and leaving her little children alone.
A resident of Madalla, Jummai Mohammed told our reporter in a telephone interview that three weeks ago, some people drove through the Kaduna-Abuja on motorcycles and donkeys which created panic in the minds of the people.
” We started hearing of bandits in the Suleja area three months ago. We noticed some strange things in our area three weeks ago, when some people riding on motorcycles and donkeys passed through the major highway. They were three on each motorcycle and donkeys numbering over 200. And since then, the people have been scared. On Thursday last week, there was a Kidnap of children and yesterday the bandits entered the homes of people and abducted them.”
Confirming the incident, the Niger State Police Command said unknown gunmen attacked the residents of Angwan-wazobia in Gauraka area of Tafa LGA where about six persons were abducted.
In a press statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, PRO, DSP Wasiu Abiodun stated that a team of Policemen were mobilized to the scene and efforts to rescue the victims are being intensified.
It state,” however, at about 0635hrs of the same date, some miscreants blocked both sides of Abuja – Kaduna expressway, protesting the recent cases of kidnapping in the community. The miscreants later extended the protest to Gauraka Police outpost, vandalized and set it ablaze.”
The state Police explained that efforts to disperse the protesters are ongoing as reinforcement has been dispatched from Minna to Area Commander Suleja as well as a joint task force from Minna – Suleja highway to restore normalcy on Abuja – Kaduna expressway.
It then called on members of the public, parents, guardians and community leaders to caution their wards against any act of public disturbance as the Command shall continue the onslaught against criminal elements in the society.
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