Tension gripped Niger State on Monday night after armed bandits abducted scores of passengers along the Ibbi-Bussa axis of the Mokwa–New Bussa road.
Among the kidnapped victims were Ahmed Mohammed, Commissioner 7 of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), and Alhaji Bawa Niworo, former chairman of the State Universal Education Board (NSUBEB).
Eyewitnesses said the assailants stopped multiple vehicles in the forest near Ibbi, Mashegu Local Government Area, and whisked away several passengers.
The attack came shortly after a gun battle between the police and the armed group.
Confirming the incident, Niger State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Wasiu Abiodun, said the hoodlums first launched an assault on the police nipping point along the Ibbi-Bussa road.
“Our tactical team engaged and repelled the attackers.
During the exchange, the police patrol vehicle was riddled with bullets and one officer sustained gunshot injuries.
He was taken to hospital for treatment,” he stated.
Abiodun explained that the bandits, while retreating, blocked the road further ahead and abducted passengers from at least three vehicles.
He added that security operatives, supported by vigilante groups, have since launched a rescue operation.
In a related development, the PPRO revealed that the Command’s Special Task Team (STT), acting on credible intelligence, raided suspected kidnappers’ hideouts within Kokolo forest near Kawo-Auna village in Magama Local Government Area.
The raid sparked another fierce shootout, leaving three suspected kidnappers dead. Others reportedly fled with gunshot wounds, while one abducted victim was rescued.
Niger State has witnessed a surge in violent crimes in recent years, with the Mashegu and Magama areas becoming hotspots for kidnapping and banditry.
The abduction of prominent figures such as Mohammed and Niworo has once again underlined the boldness of criminal groups operating in the North Central region.
Security analysts warn that unless coordinated military operations are intensified, the state risks sliding deeper into lawlessness.
For now, families of the abducted await news as security forces intensify efforts to rescue the victims and restore calm.
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