Kidnappers abduct 7 traders returning from market in Nasarawa

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted seven traders, who were returning from Ugya village market, in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

A driver, who escaped the attack, Ibrahim Saidu, said the incident happened around 6pm on Tuesday, while he was returning from the market.

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He said the seven traders comprised of four men and three women.

According to him, the kidnappers first opened fire on his car and deflated one of the tyres but he managed to escape while they attacked the vehicle behind him, which was conveying the traders from Ugya village market back to Toto town.

He said the driver of the Volkswagen Golf who was conveying the traders lost control and crashed into the bush, where the kidnappers pounced on them and took them away further into the bush at gunpoint.

“They first targeted my vehicle while I was negotiating a sharp bend as one of the gunmen shot at my back tyres but I still managed to escape.

“However, the other vehicle behind me was not lucky, as they shot the four tyres, which forced him to stop and they whisked away all the passengers on board,” he said.

The spokesman for the Nasarawa State Police Command, ASP Ramhan Nansel, who spoke with our reporter on the telephone, said he was not aware of the kidnap incident.

He said he will reach out to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Toto Local Government to confirm the incident and get back to our reporter later.

But he was yet to do so as at the time of filling this report.