Suspected terrorists have abducted no fewer than 50 wedding guests travelling along the Sokoto-Zamfara road, in Kaduna State.
Those abducted include telephone marketers at a popular point, called Bebeji Plaza, in Gusau, the State capital.
They were returning to Gusau after attending a wedding of their colleague in Sokoto State when the incident happened between Tureta-Bakura road, around 6pm on Saturday.
The vehicles conveying the wedding guests were a Toyota coaster bus belonging to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), a Gusau Local Government Secretariat staff vehicle and two other private vehicles.
Secretary of Union of Communication, Zamfara State, Ashiru Zurmi, while narrating the incident to newsmen in Gusau yesterday, said one of the vehicles conveying the guests developed a fault at Tureta in Sokoto state and it was fixed by an automobile mechanic after about 40 minutes.
He said the bandits ambushed the vehicles after the repair of the faulty vehicle along the Tureta-Bakura road and over 50 persons were abducted.
Zurmi noted that more than 20 persons later managed to escape, while some of them sustained various degrees of injuries.
He confirmed that 30 members are currently in captivity and the abductors have contacted the members of their Union, confirming that they are with them.
According to him, no ransom has been demanded yet by the bandits.
The Secretary of the Union also suspected the involvement of informants, which he said might have notified the kidnappers about their movement. He appealed to relevant authorities for urgent intervention and to ensure the safe return of the abductees.
The Police authorities in Sokoto State have yet to confirm the incident.
In the past year, the bandits have blocked roads including highways. Important federal highways including Abuja-Kaduna, Gusau-Sokoto-Birnin Kebbi, and Birnin Gwari-Kaduna have become travellers’ nightmares with attacks and abduction or killing of travellers becoming a daily occurrence.
