Bandits block Kaduna-Abuja highway again; UBEC Chairman, daughter confirmed kidnapped; hundreds of motorists unaccounted for

Kidnappers on Monday afternoon blocked the Kaduna-Abuja Express way forcing several motorists to abandon their vehicles and head for nearby bushes to avoid being abducted.

The development has left many motorists and passengers unaccounted for just as their belongings were carted away by the kidnappers.

A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who narrowly escaped the attack by the kidnappers reports that the incident happened a few kilometres to Katari village in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna state at about 3.30pm.

NAN also reports that hundreds of motorists traveling from Kaduna to Abuja as well as those going the other way found themselves stranded for more than 40 minutes as both lanes of the express way were blocked by cars hastily abandoned by their owners.

NAN Correspondent gathered that the bandits left the scene of the incident and moved into the bush with some of their victims before the arrival of some security men, who later cleared the road for the motorists to continue their journeys.

Commenting on the incident, owner of the popular Shagalinku Restaurant in Abuja, Alhaji Umar Shagalinku, lauded the prompt intervention of the security personnel.

He, however, called on relevant security authorities to use modern technology including helicopters to track kidnappers.

“I have been hearing about this robbery and kidnapping along Kaduna – Abuja road but today I witnessed it. This is terrible and ungodly.

“I sincerely pray that authorities concerned will do something about these criminals so that motorists will feel safe while plying this important road,” he said.

NAN reliably gathered that the same bandits operated on the same highway Sunday (April 28).

Spokesman of  the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Yakubu Sabo, said the attackers kidnapped the Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Muhammad Abubakar, and his daughter while his driver was shot dead.
Sabo said in a statement in Kaduna that two other victims of the attack were rescued frm the bandits.
“Today April 29, we received information through DPO Katari that at about 1530hrs, he got a distress call that Armed Men in military uniform intercepted a Land Cruiser Jeep with Reg. No 07E o4 FG and Toyota Sienna with Reg. No SLJ 465 TN at Kurmin Kare Village along Kaduna -Abuja Expressway, opened fire on the vehicles and in the process, the driver of the jeep was shot dead.
“While the occupants, Dr. Muhammad Abubakar who is the Chairman of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and his daughter were kidnapped, the occupants of the Sienna; one Alowonle Olalere and Onuka Victor both of Ibadan, Oyo State were injured and rescued to Katari Police Station.”
Sabo added  that the two injured victims were returning from Kano where they went to shoot a film titled ‘The Last Step’.
He pointed out that combined teams of mobile policemen, Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Command, Special Forces and Operations Yaki operatives were quickly mobilized to the area with a view to combing the bushes for possible rescue of the victims and arresting the criminals stressing that the Inspector General of Police Intelligent Response Team was also contacted for technical support in tracking the hoodlums.