Armed Bandits Kidnap Over 30 Travellers On Zungeru-Garin-Gabas Highway Of Niger

Armed bandits have reportedly kidnapped over 30 travellers on the Zungeru-Garin-Gabas highway in Niger State.

It was gathered that the travellers were travelling in three separate buses when they ran into an ambush mounted by the bandits on Wednesday.

The passengers who were travelling in an 18-seater bus and two other vehicles have been taken to an unknown destination by the gunmen according to eyewitness reports.

The incident was said to have occurred in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.

Speaking on the incident, a resident of the area who wants to remain anonymous narrated that the gunmen shot sporadically into the air to scare away villagers from the scene before disappearing with the travellers.

The eyewitness added that the bandits headed into the Kundu forest in Rafi after abducting their victims.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, promised to get back on the enquiry.

Meanwhile, official figures released by the Kaduna State government have confirmed that no less than 343 persons lost their lives in the state in the past three months.

Apart from those killed, 830 others were kidnapped while 210 residents also suffered various forms of injury in the third quarter of 2021.

This was confirmed on Wednesday by the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs Samuel Aruwan while resenting a security report to the State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

The report also observed that 69 bandits were killed by security agents in the period under review.