Kidnappers have abducted a 48-year-old provisions seller, Chinedu Arinze, carting away foodstuffs and drinks from his shop in Adagba community in Yaba ward, Abaji area council, Abuja.
A resident of the community, James Gwatana, said the incident happened on Monday, around 8:11 pm when Muslims were observing prayers.
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He said the kidnappers, who came in their large numbers wielding sophisticated weapons, invaded the provisions store and whisked away the victim amidst sporadic shooting.
Gwatana said, “The kidnappers struck when Muslims were observing prayers. They invaded the provisions shop while some of the gang members stood outside shooting into the air before they whisked away the victim.”
He said the kidnappers also went away with over 100 phones that were brought to the victim’s shop for charging by some villagers.
According to him, villagers who were going to the shop to buy items were forced to turn back due to the sporadic shooting by the kidnappers.
The vice-chairman of the council, Abubakar Abdullahi, who is a native of the community, confirmed the abduction during an interview with our correspondent.
“In fact, I was at the village when the incident happened around 8:00 pm. I started hearing gunshots. I was later told that one Arinze Chinedu who sells provisions has been kidnapped,” he said.
The spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, DSP Adeh Josephine, was yet to pick up calls or reply to the text message sent to her to on the incident.
