Gunmen abduct 3 farmers transporting yams from Abuja to Niger market
Three farmers, Maikusawa Usman, Hussaini Danjuma and Sheneni Yakubu, have been abducted by gunmen while conveying yams from Paikon Bassa community in Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to Lambata market in Niger State.
Paikon -Bassa community, which is under Gurdi Ward of Abaji Area Council of the FCT, shares border with Lambata in Niger State.
A resident of the community, simply identified as Dangana, said the incident happened around 9:pm on Sunday when the victims were conveying yam tubers in a pick-up van ahead of Lambata market on Monday.
He said the gunmen, who were wielding AK-47 rifles, emerged from the bush and flagged down the van at gunpoint then whisked away the victims into the bush.
“But they spared the driver and asked him to move with the goods, as they went away with three owners of the yam into the bush,” he said.
The village chief of Gulida Chiefdom, Abubakar Sadauna, while speaking to our reporter on telephone, confirmed the abduction of the three farmers who were transporting yams to Lambata market in Niger.
He decried incessant abduction of his people by kidnappers in his chiefdom, saying farmers are worst hit by activities of bandits and kidnappers in the area.
“Just last night, a message came to me that three farmers who were conveying yams to Lambata market in Niger State were abducted on Sunday night along Paikon-Bassa road, which shares border with Niger State,” he said.
The monarch said contact was yet to be established with the kidnappers.
“At least, I had expected the victims to understand the security challenge we have been facing due to activities of kidnappers and bandits and they should not have taken such risk to convey their produce overnight to Lambata in Niger State,” he said.
When contacted, the spokesman, Niger State Police Command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, asked our reporter to furnish him with details of the incident to enable him to know the specific information to ask for from the DPOs in the area.