Toddler escapes, as bandits abduct mother in Abuja-Kaduna highway attack

A toddler, on Tuesday, escaped death when a bullet almost hit him on the head when bandits attacked the vehicle he was travelling in with his mother.

The toddler, his mother and a domestic staff were travelling in a commercial vehicle, which was among the vehicles attacked on Tuesday where the Emir, Alhaji Hassan Attahiru, was kidnapped.

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The toddler’s mother (names withheld) was, however, among the kidnapped victims.

Gunmen had, on Tuesday afternoon, blocked the Kaduna-Abuja highway and abducted the first-class Emir.

Daily Trust gathered that a police officer attached to the Emir was shot dead during an exchange of fire while some of the emir’s guards sustained injuries.

The police, while confirming the incident late Tuesday night in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, ASP Muhammad Jalige, said an unspecified number of people were suspected to have been kidnapped while two others who sustained varying degrees of injuries are currently receiving medical treatment.

A victim of the attack, who gave her name as Asmau Umar, said the toddler’s mother was sick, hence she was unable to run when others were escaping.

According to her, “The bandits attacked us around 2pm while we were in a commercial vehicle at the same time and the same spot the Emir was abducted.

“A woman was also kidnapped from our vehicle, she was travelling with her house help and her one-year-old son.

“Fortunately, the house help was able to run while another passenger in the car, who was holding the baby held him tight and ran away with him as well.

“In fact, the bullet used to kill the personnel in the Emir’s convoy nearly hit the baby.”

She said the woman was the only person taken in her car as others were able to escape.

The police said a reinforcement team had been dispatched while coordinated effort is being carried out with a view to rescuing the victims unhurt.