Gunmen shoot at passengers, abduct nine on Calabar-Ikom highway

No fewer than nine persons were on Tuesday kidnapped by suspected herdsmen along Calabar-Ikom highway in Cross River State.

Confirming the incident late Tuesday night to Vanguard on the telephone, the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Sule Balarabe, said the incident took place around 5.15pm along the Calabar-Ikom highway.

The CP said, “The hoodlums numbering about 15 attacked the travellers with automatic weapons while abducting some of them. The number of missing persons can’t be ascertained for now.”

Balarabe also said he had dispatched tactical teams/units to the area, adding that the Nigerian Army had joined in combing the area to rescue the victims unharmed.

“When I saw the video, I immediately dispatched tactical teams. including Anti-Kidnapping Squad among others to the area.

“I have about six tactical units on ground, the Nigeria Army has also joined in the search and rescue operation.

“We are doing our best at the moment, and I can assure you it will be adequately handled,” Balabare said.

Vanguard observed in two separate videos of 52 and 56 seconds making the rounds, two drivers who spoke separately, one coming from Ikom to Calabar and the other one coming from Calabar claimed that gunmen suspected to be herdsmen came out from the bush and opened fire on their vehicles

One of them said, “I was in front going to Ikom, he ( referring to the other driver ) was coming from Calabar; before you know it we saw herdsmen come out from the bush and started shooting at us.

“I had to reserve, he did the same and we collided in the process, because they shot one of my tyres. I jumped out of the car, the took all my six passengers with them.

The second driver claimed that they took nine person in all into the forest.

“They were with guns and machetes, they took nine people into the forest, they are not armed robbers, they are kidnappers,” he said.