Gunmen have kidnapped three people, including the elder brother of the Secretary to the Katsina State Government, in two separate incidents on Wednesday and Friday.
Alhaji Kabir Muhammed, the brother of the Katsina SSG, Alhaji Mustapha Muhammed, was abducted by gunmen on Wednesday while he was working on his farm in Daftau Village, Danmusa Local Government Area of the state.
Neighbours noticed the victim, said to be “between 78 and 80 years of age” and of fragile health, was missing after he failed to participate in the seven early morning Muslim prayers.
He was consequently traced to his farm by his mosque and family members who discovered he had been abducted.
However, another source said after he was abducted sympathisers rushed down to his house to inform his family of the incident.
A source said, “The gunmen kidnapped him on Wednesday evening and up till now, we have not heard anything from the kidnappers. We learnt the gunmen who kidnapped him on his farm were armed to the teeth. Unfortunately, the old man is in his late 70’s and he is of fragile health.”
The spokesman for the SSG, Mallam Kabir Yardua, confirmed the incident. He added that the gunmen had yet to contact the family as of Friday night.
Meanwhile, armed men on Friday kidnapped two persons in an attack on the Yangoji community in the Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
The kidnapped persons, according to residents of the area, are a man and his son.
According to them, the gun-bearing bandits scaled the victims’ fence and abducted them.
One of the residents, who gave her name as Zainab, said the bandits, after gaining access into the compound, burgled the victims’ doors.
She added that the bandits shot repeatedly into the air while whisking away the victims.
Zainab said this has caused panic in the community.
Another resident, who gave his name simply as Jamiu, told our correspondent that the bandits did not take the man’s wife with them because she had a child she was breastfeeding.
The spokesman for the FCT police command, ASP Daniel Ndiparya, confirmed the kidnap.
He said the command was making efforts to ensure the kidnapped victims are rescued alive.
