Gunmen shot dead two farmers and abducted two other persons in Umaisha town in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The two kidnap victims are, Khadijat and Abdulwahab.
Also, other gunmen suspected to be kidnappers abducted eight children of a retired director of the Area Council Service Commission (ACSC) Alhaji Attahiru Abdullahi Pandagi, from his residence, at Agyana road, Abaji town, FCT.
The names of the kidnapped children are, Jibrin, 26, Bashir, 24, Jamilu 26, Abdullahi 24, Abdulrahman 25, Abubakar 23, Muazu 22 and Isah, 12.
City news learnt that the gunmen in their large numbers divided themselves into three groups and launched attack on Anguwar Sabon – Tasha and a bush bar opposite FRSC office in Abaji.
A relative of one of the victims of the attack in Umaisha, who identified himself as Kabiru, said the incident happened on Wednesday, around 10:04 am.
He said the gunmen attacked the victims on their farms, saying they shot and killed the two farmers while trying to escape.
He said the two other victims were whisked away alongside their motorcycles at gun point, adding that one of the farmers who managed to climb a tree later rushed back to report the incident.
“One of the farmers who was cultivating his farm heard sounds of gunshot and quietly climbed a tree to hide and later rushed back home to report the incident,” he said.
He said members of the vigilante group in the area mobilised to the farm and conveyed the two bodies of the farmers back home for burial.
The traditional ruler of Opanda – Umaisha, Alhaji Usman Abdullahi, also confirmed the latest attack by gunmen, saying the incessant attacks by armed bandits in his chiefdom had become a nightmare to his people.
The spokesman of Nasarawa State Police Command, ASP Ramhan Nansel, did not pick calls or reply to a text message sent to him to confirm the development.
Meanwhile, the father of the eight kidnapped victims, Alhaji Attahiru Abdullahi Pandagi, while speaking with our reporter at his residence said the kidnappers scaled over the house’s back fence, while other gang members took positions round the house.
He said the gunmen entered the boys quarters where his children were sleeping and took them away at gun point. He however added that he was not at home when the incident happened.
“In fact, one of them even asked my wife, where is Isah, which showed that an informant has a hand in this attack,” he said.
It was gathered that some vigilante members guarding the senior staff quarters in the area repelled further attacks as a shootout with the kidnappers forced them to flee the area.
A close aid to the chairman of the council, Alhaji Abdulrahman Ajiya, who preferred anonymity, said the council chairman was worried about the attack and had left the area to brief the FCT minister about the latest development.
“The chairman was worried over the latest attack by kidnappers and he has left for Abuja to brief the minister about the incident,” he said.
When contacted, the spokesman of the FCT police command, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, confirmed the kidnap incident, saying efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims.
