Gunmen kidnap two construction workers in Niger

Barely a few weeks after the killings of some Nigerien expatriates and the abduction of some Chinese nationals at Zungeru Hydropower Dam in Wushishi Local Government Area of Niger State, two construction workers with Salini Nig. Ltd have been kidnapped by gunmen suspected to be armed bandits along the Lambata-Izom highway in Gurara Local Government Area of the state.

Eyewitnesses informed our reporter that the incident occurred around 4 pm on Monday.

The development forced motorists and commuters to stop their journeys abruptly and park their vehicles at a far distance for fear of being shot or abducted by the miscreants.

The sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity added that the workers were assaulted physically and had their hands tied behind their backs after which two of the yet-to-be-identified victims were taken away into the forest by the bandits.

Travellers who witnessed the incident explained that they had to wait until the suspected terrorist elements completed their illegal operations on the highways around evening.

The sources, including a Minna-based journalist whose family is based in Kaduna State, added that the gunmen shot sporadically into the air for several hours apparently to scare away the people in the community.

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The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Niger State Command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, in a statement, confirmed the incident and explained that the gunmen were engaged by Police Operatives attached to the Command and the Military Personnel from Zuma Barracks in Suleja in conjunction with some Vigilante members in the area.

Abiodun noted that “On 28/02/2022 at about 15: 00hrs, information was received that armed bandits attacked Dajigbe village via Lambata, in Gurara Local Government Area and abducted some victims.”

The statement added that however, “upon the receipt of this information, the Command mobilised a team of Police operatives, Military personnel from Zuma barracks, Suleja, and vigilante members to the area.

“The hoodlums were vehemently engaged in a gun battle, and in the process, two bandits were neutralised and four motorcycles were recovered from the bandits, while others escaped into the forest with gunshot injuries.”

The statement stated further that due to the gun battle, there was a temporary motorists stoppage along Suleja-Minna road, stressing that normalcy was later restored to that axis of the road, for free flow of traffic.