• 6 students kidnapped in Nasarawa
• Blown Catholic Catechets in Kaduna
• King, wife and six children among Taraba victims
• 15 kidnapped, 3 murdered in Edo
• Imo council chairman shot, two friends kidnapped, home demolished
• “We are now at the mercy of God”
Ahead of the upcoming general elections, many Nigerians are terrified after a spate of kidnappings across the country from Thursday night through last night.
More than 19 people have been kidnapped in the past 24 hours, with relatives of the victims and residents of the area screaming for help from the security services, according to reports compiled by the Guardian newspaper from across the country.
Victims of yesterday’s kidnapping included schoolchildren, traditional rulers, clerics and ordinary Nigerians. In Nasarawa state, gunmen kidnapped six of her students early yesterday morning.
According to eyewitnesses, gunmen stormed Alwaza’s LGEA primary school in the province’s Doma local council and kidnapped children during a rally.
“The children were in the assembly hall when the kidnappers appeared and ordered the students to follow them while the staff conducting the assembly fled. Six victims were driven off on motorcycles.” At one point, the other students were just screaming for help,” said a witness.
A state police spokesperson, Nasarawa State Command, DSP Rahman Nansel, who confirmed the incident, said a joint security team consisting of police, military and vigilantes had been mobilized to track down the kidnappers.
In Taraba state, gunmen kidnapped Judge Sani Suleiman Duna (right), the traditional ruler of Mutumbiyu in the Gasol Regional Council, along with his two wives and six children. The incident, which occurred around 1 a.m. Friday night, caused obvious tension in and around the community.
One of the palace guards who also confirmed the kidnapping of the king and his family said the kidnappers took people from the community without their knowledge.
Apart from requiring state governments to cooperate with security agencies to ensure the king’s release, he also stressed the need for relevant authorities to ensure full security at the council.
he said: I hope the government helps us by deploying more security guards in this place. This has become necessary. “
Also confirming the incident, police spokesperson (PPRO) Abdullahi Usman said the incident occurred “around 1 am today (Friday)”.
Usman said that the monarch, his two wives and six children were all kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in Mutumbiyu, and provided all necessary equipment to help rescue the monarch and his family unharmed. He also called on anyone with useful information about the kidnapper to contact Command.
At the time of filing this report, the kidnapper had no contact with the victim’s family. Similarly, on Thursday night, armed men kidnapped Mr. Kefas his Ishaya, the cathedral of Saint Monica of Ikulpari’s Catholic Church, in the Chawai Emirate of the Kaul Local Council in Kaduna state.
The Guardian collected that the shooter chose Catext when he failed to capture his boss Fr. Joseph Shekari, who was not there when his residence was attacked.
Kidnapped in February 2022, Shekhali had left the village and was unable to face a second ordeal in captivity. Sunday, the parish’s chairman of his zone, Mr. Bague, said the kidnappers came “around 9:30 p.m.” last Thursday.
“Thank you Father (Pastor) for making the journey. They didn’t catch him, but they chose our catext.
“They dragged the catechist into the bushes. He said the gunmen were numerous, continued to fire sporadically, and traveled through churches, schools and priests’ residences in search of the pastor’s father.
Witnesses said the gunman broke into the priest’s residence after slipping through a fence. They allegedly used stones and bullets to break down the front door of the house.
“They immediately broke into the house, searched the whole house, looted it. They searched under the bed, the wardrobe, the bathroom, the kitchen. They searched even the ceiling, but my father had left. They did not catch him.They got angry and took our catechist.He is with them in the bush when we are talking.It is a very sad situation.This is It’s devastating. They dragged the catechists to the ground like dogs,” said the visibly terrified woman. She recalled that Shekari had only recently been kidnapped and rescued after a “large ransom” was paid.
“They also took him in. Luckily he wasn’t in. This is a really dark time for us,” she said. Recall that armed men kidnapped Shekhali in February 2022.
Johanna Madaki, a church elder, said while speaking about the February incident that the kidnappers appeared to be targeting more than £2 million from the annual Thanksgiving that same day.
The money was stolen along with the monks, and the murdered cook was Kizakoro, a public secondary school student. This year, the parish held its annual Thanksgiving on his Sunday, January 16th, and the kidnappers went on strike on his Thursday, January 19th.
The gunmen kidnapped Chris Ohiz, transition chairman of the Imo State Ideato North Local Council, and two of his friends yesterday.
The Chancellor was kidnapped in the early hours of yesterday morning from his Imoco community residence in Alondizuog, Council Area. The gunman, who first shot the council chairman in the leg, bundled him up in a waiting car before setting his house on fire.
A source close to the family said: They shot him in the leg before taking him away. He is a man who recently returned from the hospital. I am devastated now. “
Another source who confirmed the development blamed insecurity in the area.
“I have been reporting on killings in the area over the last year and earlier this year, but to date there have been no police anywhere in Alondizuog and no arrests have been made. , have the mercy of God.”
When contacted, state police’s new spokesperson, Henry Okoye, said he would check and get back. Dr. Isaac Wakiri, Highness Aguom Isere of the Highlands Region Jos East Regional Council, was also kidnapped at his palace last Thursday night, but was lucky as police rescued him quickly.
The First Lord was kidnapped at his palace in the Shea district of Jos East. Jos East chairman Ezekiel Izang, who first confirmed the incident, said the shooter had entered the community and began firing sporadically before gaining access to the monarch’s palace.
Witnesses who wished to remain anonymous said a police officer on duty at the palace was shot dead and a private guard attached to the monarch was killed instantly.
DSP Alfred Arabo, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) at Plateau State Command, confirmed the incident when contacted and said police commissioner CP Bartholomew Onyeka, other police officers and even men , added that he went to the surrounding bushes. The search for the kidnapped Supreme Ruler.
Arabo later issued another short statement, saying the kidnapped traditional ruler had been rescued and two suspected kidnappers had been arrested during an investigation.
In EDO STATE, gunmen attacked again and kidnapped 15 people, just 72 hours after the release of 20 kidnapped victims at the Igueben railway station of the Igueben Regional Council.
Fifteen people were kidnapped in the Emokpe community of the province’s Obia Northeast Regional Council. Residents of the community who protested against the governor’s office in the city of Benin yesterday said three of the 15 abducted had been killed.
A spokesperson for the protesters, Commander Egua, said the incident occurred on Wednesday, saying a bus carrying children returning from school and women in the market was attacked by suspicious herdsmen and taken into the woods. Stated.
He explained that a suspected herdsman had come from the bush, killed three, and others were still being held captive. It added that the kidnappers contacted the victim’s family and demanded a ransom of N20 million.
he said: Even the guy on the bike who took them from school was kidnapped in the process.
“A minibus carrying passengers to a nearby community stopped and the passengers were also kidnapped.
“As we speak, 15 people have already been kidnapped and 3 of them have been killed by the gunmen.” He said he had decided to lodge a protest with the governor’s office after hearing that the governor had mobilized all security agencies in the state to rescue him.
“So I heard about the kidnapping of about 20 people in Igeben, which prompted me to seek help from the government. They mobilized all security agencies in the state to free the hostages. So governments need to stand up and act quickly,” he added.
Another protester, Esther Matthew, asked the state government for help in rescuing her husband from the clutches of her kidnappers.
“I am here to seek help from our father, the governor. They kidnapped my husband and son. We saw his body,” the 28-year-old said.
Also, Gift Omoruyi, lamenting the kidnapping of children, said: The boy is 13 years old and the girl is 15 years old. ”
When contacted, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, a spokesperson for the Edo State Police, said he was unaware of the incident. Contacted to comment on how the police intend to handle the situation, he said that the Police Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Olmuyiwa Adejovi, is a member of his PRO in the state. said to be in the right position.
“State Command is supposed to respond. These state CPSs have a responsibility to do so, so they are in the best position to respond to these,” he said.
