TheCable

Rose Bassey, a former accountant-general of Cross River, and three other persons have been abducted by gunmen in an attack on the Uyanga axis of Calabar-Ogoja highway.

Edim-Edim Omin, a popular pastor in Cross River, was also shot during the attack.

According to NAN, the pastor is receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

The incident comes hours after the police command in the state said it had deployed tactical teams to safeguard persons plying the highway.

Irene Ugbo, spokesperson of the Cross River police command, who confirmed the development on Wednesday, said the four victims were abducted on Tuesday.

Ugbo, however, said efforts are in top gear to find the perpetrators and rescue the victims.

“It is a sad reality for us and as I speak with you, the commissioner of police is heading to that axis to assess the situation of things himself,” the police spokesperson said.

At least 20 persons have been kidnapped along the Uyanga-Ikomita axis of the Calabar-Ogoja highway within the past two months.

Among those abducted were two medical doctors who regained their freedom hours after the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) declared a strike over the abduction.