Month: September 2021

A former Chief Judge of Abia State, now Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of Ohaji/Egbema in Imo State, Justice Nnenna Oti has been abducted.

Justice Oti was abducted on Saturday in Orlu on her way to Anambra State.

The Bishop of Ohaji/Egbema Anglican Diocese, Rt. Revd Chidi Collins Oparaojiaku has called for  prayers for Justice Oti’s release.

The cleric said her captors have made contact.

Police spokesman Michael Abatham did not readily confirm the abduction but said he would find out.

Gunmen have also abducted 78-year-old Kabir Mohammed, elder brother of the Secretary to the Katsina State Government (SGS) Mustapha Mohammed Inuwa.

Director, Press to the SGS, Abdullah Yar’Adua confirmed the abduction yesterday, saying the septuagenarian was taken away from his home town in the Danmusa local council on Wednesday.

Yar’Adua refuted reports claiming that the SSG’s children and other relatives were also abducted.

“The man was abducted alone while on his farm on Wednesday, September 1,” he said, adding that though security agents were “on top of the matter”, no demand has been made by the abductors.

The Dodo of Wawa, Dr. Mahmud Ahmed Aliyu of Borgu in Niger State was equally abducted by gunmen.

Borgu is in New Bussa Local Government Area of the state.

The Nation learnt that Aliyu was abducted in his palace on Saturday night at about 10 pm.

It was said that the assailants came in large numbers shooting rapidly, seized the monarch and took him away.

“They arrived on motorcycles at 10pm and shot into the air that threw the whole palace and the area into panic. They left with our ruler and presently, nothing has been heard on his whereabouts,” an eyewitness said.

Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said his men were “on the trail of the abductors”.

A woman and her two daughters were on Saturday night kidnapped by gunmen in Pegi, Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

An eyewitness Segun Ore  told our correspondent that the incident happened around 11 Saturday night.

The Nation was told that the abductors jumped over the fence and broke the lock of their burglar-proof door and kidnapped  Mrs. Oladapo Bukola, 45, and her daughters,  Glory, 17, and Moyo, 14.

The girls’ father Pastor Gabriel Oladapo was out of Abuja when the incident occurred, it was said.

The police said they were on the hunt for the abductors.

Northern Elders Forum (NEF) yesterday said bandits and kidnappers have overwhelmed communities in their region.

“Measures being taken by some state governments such as suspension of weekly markets, restrictions on sale of petrol, closure of schools and some roads, curfews, movement of cattle and plans to restrict communication will compound the desperate conditions of living of many communities in the North”.

The elders urged the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency assist states in relieving communities that are now living under additional pressure of insecurity.

A statement issued by NEF Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed said: “Northern Elders Forum is closely following the condition of many Northern communities that have become particularly vulnerable to attacks and abuse by bandits, kidnappers and related organised criminals.

“While it will be unhelpful to criticize these measures without adequate knowledge of their potentials to relieve the desperation under which people live, it is important nevertheless to demand that those who have powers to impose them also have clear ideas over what they could achieve and when,” the forum said.