Gunmen kill three, abduct 10 persons in Niger

Gunmen operating along Kaduna-Sarkin-Pawa Road in Niger State at the weekend killed three persons and kidnapped 10 others.

The Guardian leant that the killers had attacked about 15 villages in the area in the last two weeks without the security agents apprehending them.

Among the villages affected are Fwapai, Tsoho Kabulo, Shehudna, Bakin Nyanyi, Mudungo, Rigogo, Bakin Dako and Sabon Gida, all in Munya Local Council Area.

Reacting, the Senator representing the Niger East Senatorial District, David Umaru, urged the police to come to the aid of the embattled people.

He said: “I have received several calls from the villagers about the activities of the kidnappers operating without challenge from the security agencies. I was informed that three persons had been killed, while 10 others were kidnapped on Friday and Saturday.

According to him, the kidnappers had relocated from the Kaduna-Abuja road to Kabila ward in Munya to wreck havoc on the fleeing villagers.

While describing the attack as unfortunate, the lawmaker urged the state government to take measures to protect the lives and property in the area.

Umaru lamented that the absence of security operatives had made the criminal activities to increase.

When our correspondent visited the office of the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Abigail Unaeze for a confirmation, she was said to be out of the country on official engagement.

Meanwhile, five people were feared dead and several others seriously injured in yesterday’s early morning accident at Oju-Ore, along Owode/Idiroko road, Sango, in Ado-Odo Local Council Area of Ogun State.

The accident, which occurred around 5:00p.m, involved a truck from Idiroko axis, which was said to be loaded with rice, tin tomatoes and other items wrapped in cartons.

According to an eyewitness account, the truck tumbled due to over speeding, killing two commercial motorcyclists, the passengers and some passersby.

When The Guardian visited the scene, some onlookers claimed that more casualties were still trapped under the fallen truck.

Efforts to confirm this proved abortive, as armed soldiers and policemen barricaded the scene to allow off loading of the goods into another truck.

Officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) and the Police were also on ground to safeguard the area.

But, the state Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Clement Oladele, said only one person died.

This was however, contrary to the two damaged motorcycles that our correspondent saw at the scene of the accident.

Oladele said: “The corpse of the victim had been deposited at the mortuary of the General Hospital, Ota, where the survivor is also receiving treatment.