Eight charcoal sellers were on Tuesday night abducted by gunmen in Nyalun community of Bashar District in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.
A community youth leader, Shapi’i Sambo, who confirmed the abduction to journalists on Wednesday, said the victims were returning home after close of business when the gunmen ambushed their vehicle and abducted 10 of them but later released two in Garga, Kanam Local Government Area, to relay a ransom demand to the families of the victims.
Sambo said the abductors may have taken the victims into a hideout in the Kukawa forest which has become a notorious hideout for criminal groups operating in parts of Plateau State, including Kanam and Wase LGAs.
“The victims were returning around 7:30 pm when the perpetrators suddenly stopped their vehicle loaded with charcoal and took them away. We believe they were taken to the notorious Kukawa forest which serves as hideouts for criminals and bandits,” Sambo said.
According to Sambo, the abducted charcoal workers were identified as Hassan Sa’idu, Shamsudden Abubakar, Usamatu Yakubu, Dayyabu Usman Waziri, Inkilulu Dauda, Ado Sambo, Sule Dahiru and Umar Amadu.
One of the victims who was released, Mummuni Musa, narrated that their kidnappers tied up all the other victims before letting him and another person go with instructions to relay their ransom demands.
“The kidnappers told us to go home and tell the owner of the vehicle to sell it and pay the ransom for the eight persons,” Musa said.
Eight charcoal sellers abducted by gunmen in Plateau community
