John Shiklam in Kaduna and Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
In separate incidents, suspected gunmen have abducted 18 businessmen from Kano State who were on a commercial journey to Abia State, and another 18 villagers in a community in Kaduna State.
The Kano incident occurred when the abducted victims, who were businessmen from the Kano’s popular textile market of Kantin Kwari were traveling to Aba in Abia State to buy goods.
Multiple sources disclosed that their vehicle was attacked by the armed men who moved them to the bush. President of Arewa Youth Traders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Abubakar Kabiru told journalists in Kano yesterday that the businessmen were on their way to Aba, in on Sunday night when kidnappers shot the tyre of their luxury bus and abducted them.
Abductors of the 18 traders have already contacted relatives with ransom demands, Daily Trust learnt.
Textile seller Danladi Giredi, an elder brother to one of the victims told Daily Trust how the incident happened.
“My brother usually travels to Aba after every two weeks to buy yards.
“On Saturday last week, he told me that he will be travelling again tomorrow (Sunday) and we bade him farewell.
“After they departed Kano, he called my mother and informed her that their car developed a fault and was in flames, so, they put the fire off and continued the journey until it developed the same problem.
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Eighteen traders from Kano state who were on a commercial journey to Abia state were recently intercepted and kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Kogi State, a report by Daily Trust has said.
The victims, all from the popular Kantin Kwari textile market, were reportedly travelling to Aba in Abia state to buy goods when their vehicle was attacked by the gunmen. They were now matched into the bush.
Traders from Kantin Kwari market, mostly those running small-scale businesses usually travel by road to buy ‘Made in Aba’ yards from Aba, Abia’s commercial city.
It was gathered that the traders left Kano on Sunday with the intent of getting to Aba the following day, unknown to them, there was going to be a change of fate.
“The victims, all from the popular Kantin Kwari textile market, were traveling to Aba in Abia state to buy goods when their vehicle was attacked by the gunmen and they were taken to the bush,” newsmen reported on Thursday.