Gunmen abduct 7 in Niger hotel raid

Gunmen abduct 7 in Niger hotel raid

In a shocking turn of events, suspected kidnappers stormed a hotel in Gauraka, a community off the Abuja-Kaduna expressway in Niger State’s Tafa Local Government Area, abducting seven people, including the hotel owner.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, August 17, 2024, when the attackers descended on the hotel around 1 a.m. A resident of the area, Musa, recounted that the kidnappers seized all the lodgers in the facility, leaving the community in a state of fear and uncertainty.

According to Sabo Abdullahi, the commander of the local vigilante group, the victims include the hotel proprietor, his younger brother and wife, the hotel manager, and three guests who were staying at the hotel.

The armed assailants, after forcibly opening the hotel’s gate, fired gunshots as they made their escape with the hostages, alerting residents to the grim situation.

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“There was only one member of the security hunters close to the area, and he fled upon sighting them. We were stationed in the central part of the town, but by the time we received the information, it was too late,” Abdullahi explained.

The Gauraka community has been a hotspot for kidnapping incidents, with the latest attack marking the fifth in just four months. A similar incident occurred merely three weeks ago, according to reports from Daily Trust.

Residents have expressed deep concern over the persistent attacks, noting that the gunmen often take their victims to the dense forest near the Apo community and other areas along Ijah-Koro and Ijah-Gwari Road, which leads to Bwari town in the Federal Capital Territory.

The repeated kidnappings have left the Gauraka community on edge, with locals pleading for increased security measures to curb the menace and protect their lives and property.

Gunmen abduct 7 in Niger hotel raid