Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Barely two weeks after 49 passengers on board a luxury bus on the fleet of Niger State Transport Authority (NSTA) were abducted and released, passengers have been kidnapped again by gunmen suspected to be armed bandits on Tuesday evening.
The inciden happened along Tegina-Minna Road in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
Nigerian Tribune reliably gathered that the bandits mounted a roadblock at Kundu town, a few kilometres from Zungeru town in Wushishi Local Government Area of the state when three commercial vehicles carrying nine passengers each including drivers fell into their hands.
The passengers in the three vehicles were abducted and taken to an unknown destination while the vehicles were left by the road side.
Similarly, armed bandits kidnapped an unknown number of villagers at Gidigori town in Rafi Local Government Area and set no fewer than five cars ablaze and carted away some valuables.
Confirming the incident, a senior government official, who pleaded for anonymity, in a brief interview by telephone with our reporter on Tuesday evening in Minna said nothing has been heard from the bandits to enable the state government to ascertain the specific identities of those that were kidnapped.
Also, one person was said to have been killed while several others were kidnapped when some gunmen suspected to be armed bandits raided Manta town in the Shiroro Local Government Area of the state on Monday evening.
The bandits were also said to have ransacked the houses of villagers, stealing foodstuff and other valuable items. The bandits were said to have had shortage of food in the forest.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP, Wasiu Abiodun did not pick his calls to confirm the incident as of the time of filing this report.
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