Eight charcoal burners kidnapped in Plateau community

By Golok Nanmwa, JOS

No fewer than eight charcoal burners were kidnapped on Tuesday evening in Nyalun community, Bashar District of Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The incident occurred as the victims were returning home after processing charcoal on the outskirts of the community.

Shapi’i Sambo, a youth leader in Wase, told journalists that the kidnappers initially abducted all 10 occupants of the vehicle but released two at Garga in Kanam Local Government Area to convey a ransom demand to the victims’ relatives.

“The victims were returning around 7:30 pm when the perpetrators suddenly stopped their vehicle loaded with charcoal and took them away,” Sambo said.

“It is a shocking incident because the victims were struggling to make ends meet when this happened.”

He listed the kidnapped victims as Hassan Sa’idu, Shamsudden Abubakar, Usamatu Yakubu, Dayyabu Usman Waziri, Inkilulu Dauda, Ado Sambo, Sule Dahiru and Umar Amadu.

Sambo added that the kidnappers are believed to have taken the victims into the Kukawa bush, a known hideout where they usually hold people for ransom.

One of the two persons released, Mummuni Musa, narrated: “After they kidnapped us, they tied us up and later released two of us.

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.

”Our correspondent reports that communities in Wase and Kanam Local Government Areas have continued to suffer from banditry and kidnapping activities in recent years.

These attacks have resulted in the deaths of many residents, including security personnel, and the destruction of property.

The development comes barely two weeks after gunmen killed soldiers and vigilantes in Kanam Local Government Area.

The rising insecurity in the region had earlier prompted the state government to deploy soldiers to combat banditry.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Plateau State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Alabo Alfred, were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.