Bandits yesterday evening returned to the notorious Abuja-Kaduna Highway and abducted scores of passengers in a daring operation that lasted almost an hour.
Daily Trust gathered that the bandits blocked the highway between Kurnmin Kare and Katari in the Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State and abducted passengers from several commercial and private vehicles.
The incident occurred just days after a corps member traveling on the highway was killed in a crossfire between bandits and security agents.
Sources from Katari told Daily Trust that yesterday’s incident occurred around 4pm, adding that the bandits had in the early hours invaded Katari town where they also abducted 16 people.
“They invaded Katari town in the early hours of Tuesday and abducted 16 people, then this evening (Tuesday) they blocked the highway and abducted as many people as possible. The emptied cars were left by the roadside.”
Daily Trust gathered that an empty Zamfara State Transport Authority 18-seater bus and some private cars were left by the roadside and their occupants were presumed to have been abducted by the bandits.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Mohammed Jalige, said he had yet to receive any confirmation from the police area commander.
The about 155km Kaduna-Abuja Highway has witnessed several attacks by bandits who block the road to kill and abduct passengers.
The road was however said to have been fortified by security agents following the March 28 terrorists’ attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train which resulted in the killing of nine people and abduction of over 60 passengers.
