Gunmen waylay passengers on Sokoto-Gusau road, abduct 50 people

Fifty people have been reportedly abducted by gunmen following an attack on vehicles along Sokoto-Gusau road.

The victims were said to be returning from a wedding in Tambuwal, Sokoto State, on Saturday evening when the gunmen attacked their vehicles.

The gunmen were reportedly attacked a coaster bus and one other vehicle conveying the wedding guests as well as two private vehicles.

Premium Times quotes one Lawal Ja’o, a passenger who escaped from the assailants’ raid, as saying the attack occurred around Dogon Awo, in the Tureta LGA.

He said, “We started hearing the sounds of gunshots before the first vehicle was hit”, adding that over 50 people were whisked away.

“We kept hearing the voices and screams of our colleagues and friends but there was nothing we could do. After we heard the arrival of security men, we came out of the bush and identified ourselves.”

Another passenger, Jabiru Shehu, told the newspaper that over 50 persons were abducted.

“We met four empty vehicles with some belongings including a phone and some travelling bags. We were there when some policemen from Tureta arrived at the scene,” he was quoted as saying.

“From what I heard, they were more than 50 people with the bandits because we were there also when some of the travellers who ran into the bush returned to the main road.”

Sanusi Abubakar, police public relations officer in Sokoto, however, said the command was yet to receive information on the abductions.