Gunmen suspected to be terror bandits have abducted seven civilians, when they raided a hotel in Gauraka, a community off the Abuja-Kaduna expressway in Niger State’s Tafa Local Government Area.
The incident occurred in the wee hours of Saturday, August 17, 2024. The attackers reportedly descended on the hotel around 1am.
A resident of the area simply identified as Musa, narrated that the gunmen seized all the lodgers in the facility, leaving the community in a state of fear and uncertainty.
A commander of local vigilante group, Sabo Abdullahi, said that the victims include the hotel proprietor, his younger brother and wife, the hotel manager, and three guests who were lodged at the time the criminal elements attacked the hotel.
The armed assailants, after forcibly opening the hotel’s gate, fired gunshots as they made their escape with the hostages, alerting residents to the grim situation.
“There was only one member of the security hunters close to the area, and he fled upon sighting them. We were stationed in the central part of the town, but by the time we received the information, it was too late,” Abdullahi explained.
The Gauraka community has been a hotbed for kidnapping incidents, with the latest attack marking the fifth in just four months. A similar incident occurred merely three weeks ago, according to reports by Daily Trust.
Residents have expressed deep concern over the persistent attacks, noting that the gunmen often take their victims to the dense forest near the Apo community and other areas along Ijah-Koro and Ijah-Gwari Road, which leads to Bwari town in the Federal Capital Territory.
The repeated kidnappings have left the Gauraka community on edge, with locals pleading for increased security measures to curb the menace and protect their lives and property.