Gbolahan Salman Sokoto
The Nigerian Police Force, Sokoto State command has declined comment on the reported case of abduction of thirty passengers along Sokoto – Gusau road on Saturday evening.
The spokesman of the command, ASP Sanusi Abubakar, did not pick his call nor reply the text sent to him for confirmatio about the incident.
A source who brief our correspondent about the incident said at least 30 persons were abducted by gunmen following an attack on vehicles along Sokoto-Gusau road.
The source said the victims were returning from a wedding in Tambuwal, Sokoto state, on Saturday evening, when the gunmen attacked their vehicles.
The gunmen were said to have attacked a coaster bus belonging to Anka local government are of Zamfara State and one other vehicle conveying the wedding guests as well as two private vehicles
Accordingto him, “we started hearing the sounds of gunshots before the first vehicle was hit”, adding that over 50 people were whisked away.
“We kept hearing the voices and screams of our colleagues and friends but there was nothing we could do. After we heard the arrival of security men, we came out of the bush and identified ourselves,”
Another passenger, Jabiru Shehu, told the newspaper that over 50 persons were abducted.
We met four empty vehicles with some belongings including a phone and some travelling bags. We were there when some policemen from Tureta arrived at the scene,” he was quoted as saying.
“From what I heard, they were more than 50 people with the bandits because we were there also when some of the travellers who ran into the bush returned to the main road.”
Meanwhile, information gathered by our correspondent confirmed that most of the victims are mobile phone sellers and repairers in Bebeji market, Gusau in Zamfara State.
Confirming the development, Secretary of Union of Communication, Zamfara State, Ashiru Zurmi, while narrating the incident to newsmen in Gusau on Sunday said one of the vehicles conveying the guests developed fault at Tureta in Sokoto state and it was fixed by an automobile mechanic after about 40 minutes.
He said the bandits ambushed the vehicles after they repaired the faulty vehicle along Tureta-Bakura road and over 50 persons were abducted.
Zurmi noted that more than 20 persons later managed to escape, while some of them sustained various degrees of injuries.
“It happened that their motor developed fault at Tureta and they got a mechanic; for about 40 minutes, he assisted them and got the motor repaired; they started coming to Zamfara but within the Tureta and Bakura axis, the kidnappers ambushed them; over 50 people were abducted but Alhamdulilah over 20 people escaped,” Zurmi said.
He confirmed that 30 members are currently in captivity and the abductors have contacted the members of their Union, confirming that they are with them.
“We have identified thirty members that are still in captive, luckily today they used phones of those captives (about five of our members) to call us; they only notified us that they are with them.”
According to him, no ransom has been demanded yet by the bandits
In a related development, there was panic along side same Dogon Awo road on Sunday morning when suspected gunmen believe to be Bandits were sighted in the area.
A source who was on his way to Kano spoke with our correspondent on phone that on their way to Kano, there was heavy hold up along Dogon Awo with gunmen numbering over hundred motorbikes crossing the road.
He said each of the bike carries at least three fully armed gunmen which led to the motorist plying the ever busy road scampering for safety.
