Gunmen abduct 5 at Ebonyi

Unidentified gunmen struck on Tuesday evening, abducting five individuals along the bustling Mile 2 section of the Ishiagu-Okigwe expressway in Ebonyi State.

The victims, who had just arrived from Enugu Airport in a Siena space bus with license plate KWL 941 PD, were taken captive by the assailants as they passed through the Mile 2 area in Ishiagu.

The victims, including Ajah Chibuzo (41), his spouse, their 12-year-old daughter, and the vehicle’s driver, were subsequently transported into a nearby forest by the gunmen.

Notably, during the abduction, the perpetrators also seized a farmer from his field.

Although the initial four victims were abandoned at the scene, the vehicle was later recovered by security personnel and taken to the Ishiagu Police Station.

Regrettably, over the past four months, no fewer than 20 individuals have fallen victim to abductions along this route, resulting in the deaths of at least four of them.

The women of the community had previously staged a protest due to these recurrent kidnappings, which escalated into violence.

In response to the most recent abduction, Hon. Ike Cletus, the Special Assistant to the Governor of Ebonyi State on Internal Security for Ivo Local Government Area, lamented the prevalence of kidnappings in the area, attributing the issue to the ineffectiveness of the local vigilante group.

Hon. Cletus emphasized the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the local security framework and expressed the governor’s commitment to safeguarding the citizens and residents of Ebonyi State.

He also appealed for the cooperation of local government council chairpersons in combating the kidnappings occurring within their jurisdictions.