From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Bandits on Friday night attacked Ungwan Maaji, in the New Millennium City area, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, shooting one person and whisking away six others.
The attackers according to survivors stormed the area around 9:10 pm and attacked a house close to an Eye Hospital, where they abducted a housewife and her house help.
Residents of the area said the bandits attacked another house on the same street, where they abducted four other persons.
An eyewitness said two other persons who were resting outside their house were also kidnapped, but the two escaped while they were being taken away through a stream at the back of the community.
Narrating how he escaped, the Imam of the area, said he was yet to return home after leading the ‘Isha’i’ prayer usually done around 8:00 pm when the kidnappers arrived.
According to him, “I was picked in front of the Mosque, then they broke into two other houses and picked six people. While they were breaking into the second house, another neighbour, the woman and her house help kidnapped from the first house were asked to lie down on the bare floor over there.
“After the bandits broke into the second house and picked four people, we became eight, then they started leading us out of the community. On getting to the stream at the far end of the community, the two of us picked outside and escaped while they were attempting to make us cross the stream.
“The bandits were small boys. I think the eldest of them should not be more than 20 years old,” the Imam said.
It was also gathered that the bandits shot one resident of the area who was just returning home in his car.
A bullet-ridden Peugeot 406 belonging to the shot resident, was still on the ground.
Residents of the area said, “The man was returning in his car and the bandits made an attempt to stop him, but he refused, so they sprayed his vehicle with bullets.”
Meanwhile, when contacted by Kaduna State Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Muhammad Jalige, said that he would contact the DPO in charge of Millennium City and brief the press later, which he never did at the time of filing this report.