Nigeria: Gunmen Kidnap Five Civilians in Plateau Community

Gunmen have reportedly kidnapped five persons and shot two others during an attack opposite Nnenza filling station, in Mista Ali community, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, reported that the incident occurred at about 3:45am on Tuesday when troops deployed in Mista Ali responded to a distress report of the kidnapping.

“Military sources said the troops, upon arrival at the scene, discovered that the unidentified gunmen had abducted five persons identified as Nathaniel David, Musa Saleh, Zakariya Saleh, Mrs Faith Yusuf and Mrs Tina John,” Makama reported.

“The attackers also shot two other victims, identified as Alhaji Abdullahi Usman Biyu and Maryam Adamu, before escaping with the abducted persons.”

“The injured victims were evacuated to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for medical attention.”

The publication said troops, in collaboration with other security agencies, have commenced search-and-rescue operations to locate the abducted victims and track down the fleeing attackers.

The incident comes amid persistent tensions over the kidnap-for-ransom crisis, farmland destruction and farmer-herder disputes in swathes of Nigeria’s north-central region.