A first class traditional ruler in the Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State, the Adogu of Eganyi, Alhaji Mohammed Adembe, was on Tuesday kidnapped by yet-to-be-identified gunmen on the Okene – Adogo Road.
The kidnap of the royal father occurred barely three days after the abduction of the Managing Director of AZECO Pharmaceutical Company, AbdulAzeez Obajimoh, at Ozuwaya, in Okene, Kogi State.
During the abduction of the pharmacist, one Habeeb Anda was killed and two others injured.
An indigene of Eganyi, who spoke to journalists on phone, said the traditional ruler, who was alone in his car, left Okene town around 4pm on his way to Eganyi community, but was abducted between Ebiya and Eganyi by hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers.
According to him, the kidnappers around 1pm on Wednesday called the family of the monarch and demanded a ransom of N30m.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr William Ayah, confirmed the kidnap, adding that the command had deployed a special squad to trail the abductors.
He called on the public to assist the police with information to enable security agents to rescue the royal father.
In a related development, gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have killed a 40-year-old man, Tasiu Tilde, while attempting to kidnap him in Tilden Fulani, about 100 kilometres from Bauchi.
It was learnt that the deceased, popularly called Mai Kemis, was in his pharmacy when the gunmen attacked him on Tuesday.
A witness, who did not want to be identified, said the hoodlums invaded the area and shot sporadically, causing pandemonium as people scampered for safety.
“It was in the process that Tasiu was shot and killed,” he added.
The Bauchi State Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with journalists on Wednesday.
Wakil, a Superintendent of Police, said the assailants tried to take their victim away, but he resisted, adding that they shot him in the chest several times.
He said, “A good Samaritan put a distress call through to our patrol team in the area. They immediately mobilised to the scene of the incident, but before they got there, the suspected kidnappers had fled, leaving their victim in a pool of blood.
“The patrol team immediately took him to the nearest Toro General Hospital, where on arrival, a medical doctor on duty certified him dead. Investigation is ongoing to apprehend the suspects.”
The police spokesman said the gunmen made another attempt in Tudun Danbiram, in the same Tilden Fulani village, around 1am, when they forced themselves into the compound of a resident, trying to gain access to his main room.
He said a resident made a distress call to the police as some members of the multi-security task force were immediately drafted to the area.
Wakil said the police engaged the bandits in a gun duel, during which some of them were wounded, but managed to escape
