No fewer than twenty two 22 farmers were abducted on Thursday afternoon and set two tractors on fire in Abuja.
The victims were said to be on their farms around 2.00pm at Rafin-Daji community, Gurdi ward of Abaji Area Council of Abuja, when the armed men struck.
A farmer, Saidu Yakubu, who narrowly escaped being kidnapped, said the bandits armed with AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons attacked them while cultivating the land.
He said the bandits shot severally into the air before seizing the victims and whisking them to an unknown destination, adding that two tractors were burnt down in one of the attacked farms.
Yakubu, who disclosed that thirteen members of a family were among the 22 abducted victims, gave their names as Ismaila Barde, Mustapha Barde, Nasiru Barde, Abdulkarim Barde, Sanusi Barde, Usman, Barde, Nura Barde, Abdullahi Barde, Babawo Barde, Farida Ayuba, Hauwa Ayuba and Hussaini Abdullahi.
He said: “It was only God that saved me as I managed to escape when the bandits were shooting into the air.”
The district head of Gurdi Chiefdom, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, confirmed the incident to journalists.
Also, confirming the attack on the farmers, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, Oduniyi Omotayo, said the police tactical team has been deployed to the area to rescue the victims.
He said: “Upon receipt of the information, a combined team of police officers from various tactical and intelligence units of the command, hunters, vigilantes, hunters stormed the forest and combed it aggressively.”