Eight charcoal burners kidnapped in Plateau community

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By Golok Nanmwa, JOS

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

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

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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

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

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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.

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