TheCable

Sixteen people, including the wife of an army officer, have been reportedly abducted by gunmen in attacks on communities in Kaduna state. 

At about 11pm on Tuesday, the wife of the army officer and six other victims were said to have been abducted when gunmen attacked “Keke A and Keke B” areas of new millennium city in Kaduna metropolis. 

Residents said the attacks lasted for about an hour before security operatives arrived. 

TheCable understands that the wife of the army officer and two others were abducted during the attack on Keke A, while four others — a couple and their two househelps — were abducted in Keke B.

“It appears the main target of the kidnappers was a big house at Keke A, belonging to an army officer,” a resident said. 

“The bandits came around 11pm. I think their main target was a house at Keke A. The house belongs to the military and army officers, but the officer was not at home. So, the kidnappers broke into the house and picked up his wife. They also kidnapped another man who is the immediate neighbour of the army officer.

.“The neighbour was picked alongside his eight-year-old daughter, but they eventually dropped the daughter when her mother was shouting.

“At that point, they started shooting sporadically to scare away anyone who might think of coming to their aid.

“While all that was happening, another man who was just returning home in his car at that time ran into the kidnappers. He was the third person that was taken away from our area.”

 At Keke B, a resident said a man, his wife and their two househelps were abducted.

In another attack on Gwando community, Kajuru LGA, and Ligari community in Chikun LGA of the state, nine people were abducted. 

The gunmen were said to have attacked Gwando at about 7pm on Monday and abducted five people, while the attack on Ligari reportedly occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, during which the wife of the village head, his brother and two others were abducted.

A source added that farmers cannot go to their farms for fear of either being killed or abducted. 

Meanwhile, the development comes days after three persons were were killed following an attack by gunmen on Maranatha Baptist Church and St. Moses Catholic Church in Rubu community, Kajuru LGA of Kaduna.