The police authorities say they have launched a manhunt for bandits that abducted a Zamfara first-class monarch, Emir of Bungudu, Alhaji Hassan Attahiru, and killed a policeman who was part of his entourage while travelling along Abuja- Kaduna highway on Tuesday evening.

Gunmen were said to have opened fire on the monarch’s convoy on Tuesday and his security aides responded with gunshots but the bandits overpowered them and whisked the king away.

Kaduna police spokesperson, Muhammed Jalige, who confirmed the development in a statement, also said they had taken measures to improve security along the Abuja-Kaduna road.

The statement read, “The Kaduna Police Command received a tragic report of an attack and kidnapping incident around Dutse Village along Kaduna-Abuja road, where an unspecified number of people were suspected to have been kidnapped, while two others sustained varying degree of injuries are currently receiving medical treatment.

“The information has it that the commuters were intercepted by the bandits who shot berserk, resulting in the aforesaid circumstance. However, operatives of the command were dispatched to restore normalcy in the area of which an officer paid the supreme price.

“During the course of preliminary investigation of the scene, four vehicles were recovered from the scene while the exact number of persons kidnapped is yet to be ascertained.

“Equally, available information indicates that the Emir of Bungudu, Zamfara State, His Royal Highness (HRH) Alhaji Hassan Atto, is among the people abducted to an unknown destination. Meanwhile, reinforcement team has since been dispatched, while coordinated effort is being carried out with a view to rescuing the victims unhurt.

“The Kaduna-Abuja road has been safe lately if not for this unfortunate incident. Thus, the Commissioner of Police Kaduna Command, CP Mudassiru Abdullahi psc  (+), is calling on the citizens plying the road not be deterred by this setback as the command is rejigging the security deployment to strengthen the existing structure aimed at forestalling reoccurrence.”

This is coming a few days after Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara said his administration would no longer grant amnesty to bandits.

Security operations are also ongoing in areas affected by banditry across Zamfara — which shares border with Kaduna — leading to shutdown of telecommunications services.