Niger State has come under siege by kidnappers who in the past two weeks attempted without success to kidnap two early risers, including a middle-aged woman, Sikira Aminu, who had gone out to drop her 10 years old son at the bus stand.
The incident occurred along Tunga area last Thursday when Sikira in trying to meet the deadline by her son’s school which mandates parents to ensure that their wards are set and waiting at the bus stand as early as 6:30am when the bus would pick them.
An artisan who gave his name as Idrisu who had similar encounter with suspected kidnappers narrated how he almost ended up in the booth of a BMW car as three men, pretending to have missed their way tried to kidnap him in a broad day light around Maitumbi area.
Another unconfirmed report also had about a student from one of the higher institution boarded a late evening bus from Suleja to Minna but found self days later inside a thick forest he later got to know to be in Benue State, he and other captives were kept apparently for ritual purposes.
The man, in his early 20s, is said to have recalled how he escaped death by the whiskers, trekked for days along bush path before arriving along Benue and Kogi states boarder where he met hunters who assisted him raise money with which he used to transport himself to safety.
Sikira said that immediately after she had dropped her son at bus stop around 6:30am; on her way back home a car pulled up, moved towards her and one of the occupants stretched out his hands and grabbed the veil she used in covering her head.
As she tried to struggle, the man quickly came out from the car to fully grip her while she struggled with him. Sikira said that she shouted for help when she realized that the men were out for her as she has to let go of her veil to avoid being strangulated.
While she struggled to escape, the second occupant of the car who was the driver alighted from the car to assist the other accomplice but her shouts for help attracted few other early risers, including people from a nearby mosque who quickly came to her rescue.
Sensing what would befall them and that darkness was fast fading for daybreak, Sikira said that the two-man kidnap gang had to let go of her and made a detour back to their car and sped off.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Niger State Command, ASP Bala Elkanah, said that the command was not aware of the kidnap, but warned citizens against moving alone along isolated routes, particularly early in the morning and late at nights.
Bala said, “The command has not received such complaint as kidnapping, but it is advisable for people to avoid routes that are hardly used by other people in the early hours and nights or afternoons when most people would have been either in office.
“To guarantee security of lives and properties of all, we have our under-cover men in strategic locations like relaxation centres, markets and other public places apart from the routine patrol of both land and air with helicopter in and around Minna metropolis”, the PPRO said.
The PPRO also disclosed that some strategic councils and locations such as Pandogari and Kafinkoro were also being monitored by men and officers of the command and the joint patrol between security forces in Niger State is also on course to guarantee adequate security for all citizens.