Nasarawa: Gunmen abduct 17 in mosque invasion

Some unknown gunmen who invaded a mosque in Nasarawa State have abducted 17 persons at the Gwargwada-Sabo community in Gadabuke development area of the state.

According to Daily Trust, a library staff member with Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, three women, and 13 other male adults were part of the people kidnapped.

Daily Trust gathered that among those kidnapped were a library staff member with the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, three women and 13 other male adults.

A resident of the community, identified as Usman, said the incident happened on Tuesday night when Muslims of the community were observing Isha'i prayers, reports, Sahara Reporters.

"The gunmen took positions and started shooting into different directions after other gangs surrounded the mosque and whisked them away into the bush," he said.

He said only the chief Imam of the community mosque and children were spared.

Families of the kidnapped residents have established contact with the kidnappers, who are demanding N1million in ransom for each victim.

"Actually, they first demanded N50 million on the first day, but as we keep on pleading and negotiating with them, they now said we should pay N1 million on each victim," he said.

Attempts to contact the spokesman for Nasarawa State Police Command, ASP Ramhan Nansel, proved abortive because neither the call nor the text message put to his mobile phone was answered as of the time of filing this story.