Gunmen have kidnapped at least 19 persons in Ogu and Tegina communities in Niger state.

According to a report by Channels Television, a resident of Ogu, Kamal Wayam, said the assailants stormed the village on motorbikes “and started shooting sporadically into the air”.

The Sunday incident in Niger State came few days after gunmen stormed a secondary school in Katsina State and abducted 333 students according to a figure given by the state government.

According to a witness, the gunmen ransacked houses and took away valuables.

“The gunmen in their large number arrived in Ogu on motorcycles and before we knew what was happening, they started shooting into the air.

“They ransacked people’s houses and whatever valuable they could lay their hands on, they carted away,” the witness said.

He said four of the persons abducted in Ogu “were members of one family while the other two were visitors to the community”.

The attack on Tegina community was said to have happened at about 12:30 a.m on Monday with 16 people abducted.

“The gunmen entered the room of my daughter that night, but she hid herself under the bed, while her husband went up the ceiling,” Sani Gamachindo, a resident of the community, told Channels TV.

“When the gunmen entered their room, they spent like 30 minutes and ate almost all the food in the kitchen. Thank God they were not abducted, but 16 persons were kidnapped.”

Spokesperson of Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, neither picked calls nor responded to an SMS requesting information.

PT