Eight Charcoal Burners Abducted by Gunmen in Plateau Community

Gunmen have kidnapped eight charcoal burners in the Nyalun community, located in the Bashar District of Wase Local Government Area, Plateau State.

The incident occurred on Tuesday evening while the victims were returning home after processing charcoal on the outskirts of the community, according to local sources.

A youth leader in Wase confirmed the abduction on Wednesday, stating that the kidnappers initially seized ten occupants of a vehicle loaded with charcoal. However, two of them were later released in Garga, Kanam Local Government Area, to pass on a ransom demand.

The youth leader described the attack as shocking, noting that the victims were struggling to earn a living before the incident. He identified the eight abducted individuals as Hassan Sa’idu, Shamsudden Abubakar, Usamatu Yakubu, Dayyabu Usman Waziri, Inkilulu Dauda, Ado Sambo, Sule Dahiru, and Umar Amadu.

The kidnappers are believed to have taken the victims into the Kukawa bush, a known hideout for criminal gangs in the area.

One of the two released individuals recounted that the victims were tied up before he and another person were freed to deliver the ransom message. He quoted the abductors as instructing them to tell the vehicle owner to sell it and use the proceeds to pay the ransom for the eight captives.

Communities in Wase and Kanam Local Government Areas have experienced repeated cases of kidnapping and banditry in recent years. The latest abduction comes about two weeks after gunmen killed soldiers and vigilantes in Kanam.

Efforts to reach the Plateau State Police Command for comment were unsuccessful.