Who Kidnapped 6 Offa Indigenes On The Kaduna-Abuja Express?

Who kidnapped six persons along Kaduna-Abuja expressway, who were on their way to Kaduna?

This is the big question waiting for answer even as emotions run high in Offa, Kwara state from where the men began their journey..

A statement from the Offa Descendants’ Union (O.D.U) signed by its PRO, Maruf Ajenifuja, has said that the six persons were travelling on Aduke Okin Motors from Offa to Kaduna.

“This worrisome incident happened at Rijana along Abuja – Kaduna expressway thereby throwing many families into a period of sorrow. 

“O.D.U. has waded in and efforts are in top gear to secure the release of the victims and we hope they would be released soonest  by the special grace of God. We may not be able to give you details at the moment due to security reasons,” Ajenifuja said.

According to a Daily Trust correspondent in touch with some families of the abducted travellers’ relatives are only learning of the abduction and are in a meeting discussing the incident.

READ ALSO: SIX JOURNALISTS KIDNAPPED ON WAY TO WORKSHOP, GOVERNMENT STEPS IN

It is unclear the motive behind the abduction and what the next steps are.

At least seven persons, including three final-year law students of the Ahmadu Bello University, were reportedly kidnapped along Abuja – Kaduna, about 40 kilometres away from the state capital on Tuesday evening.

As of the time of filing this report, it was not clear whether the abductions took place at the same time a former Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo’s convoy ran into the kidnappers along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.

In the recent, there has been renewed apprehension over safety of lives and property on the expressway which is a major connecting point for states in the north and west of the country .

Recently, three persons were killed and many more kidnapped on the expressway and these included three final year students of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. It took the payment of ransom for them to be released.

The development has been causing anxiety amongst travelers, especially those using the road.

Commercial drivers who use the expressway usually have tales of woe to share concerning the road.

Many observers have also wondered why the relevant security agencies have not risen adequately to the challenge of safeguarding lives and property on the road.
In one instance, the Head of drivers at the Command Motor Park in Kaduna, Emmanuel Ameh, in an interview with a Daily Trust on Sunday correspondent painted a terrible picture of happenings on the Kaduna-Abuja road.

He said users of the road, from passengers to drivers have become very vulnerable on the road, as they routinely encounter gun-toting men who attack and kidnapping people every day. It quoted him as saying: “What baffled me is the gunmen usually change location from one point to another while the police
stay at one location.

The police officers don’t patrol the road.  If you are able to escape and report to the police the officers they will tell you they don’t have fuel to go anywhere.”

Ameh revealed that a good number of the commercial drivers in the park had decided to abandon their vehicles for fear of being killed or kidnapped by the gunmen. “I also abandoned my vehicle because of the fear and continued attacks and kidnapping of people on the expressway,” he explained.

Ameh appealed to both federal and state governments to get to the roots of the whole thing, adding that police should also patrol the stretch of the highway.

“The police should track the gunmen in their hideouts and bring them out because staying at checkpoints would not solve the problem. You hardly find the police moving on the road,” he said.