The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai’s convoy foiled attempted kidnapping of motorists along Kaduna-Abuja road on Wednesday afternoon.
The Governor who was on his way to Abuja got to the Akilubu village around 3:40pm, sighted dozens of vehicles parked by citizens alarmed that kidnappers were ahead.
In a statement on Wednesday by Samuel Aruwan, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media and Publicity, said security operatives in the governor’s convoy advanced and cleared the road of the criminals who fled into the forest.
“After clearing the road, Governor El-Rufai directed that travelers who had been wounded by the criminals be rushed to the nearest hospital.
“The Governor also directed security agencies to intensify patrols and permanently clear the road of the bandits,” the statement noted.
Recall that recently daredevil kidnappers struck at busy Abuja-Kaduna expressway and kidnapped eight Abuja-bound travelers.
A witness who escaped the siege told DAILY NIGERIAN that the kidnappers shot sporadically, stopped a Honda and Toyota cars and shepherded the eight occupants into the bush at 3:15pm.
“Watching from afar at Akilibu village, we saw eight people led into the bush. The kidnappers didn’t waste much time,” said a witness, Lawan Sule.
Spokesman for Kaduna Police Command, Yakubu Sabo, could not be reached for comment at the time of filing in this report.
On Monday, dozens of travelers were abducted while travelling in a Toyota Hilux van with registration number CT 01 AF at about 6:30pm along the expressway.
The armed abductors struck near Gidan Busa village along the expressway and started firing at it in the bid to compel the driver to stop the vehicle.
One of the men in the van, identified as Mshelia Suleman was injured in the Monday incident.
Police however confirmed the Monday incident, saying a combined team of operatives from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, mobile force and the conventional police have been mobilized to the scene.
He however said the number of the victims was exaggerated.
