By Vincent Ujumadu

AWKA-GUNMEN, Monday, abducted a paint merchant, Mr. Uche Alado, in Onitsha. His abductors were yet to make contact with members of his family at press time.

Though Anambra State Police Command could not confirm the incident, an eyewitness said the gunmen, numbering about five, operated in a black Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, adding that the gang stormed the merchant’s office located at Modebe Avenue, opposite St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Onitsha, and shot sporadi-cally into the air to scare away passers-by.

The eyewitness said: “After scaring people away with the gun shots, they went into the office where the victim was hiding and dragged him out, forced him into the boot of their SUV and zoomed off through Oguta Road in the commercial town.”

The incident sent fears into residents of the city, especially with the menace of kidnappers and other violent criminal activities in the city on the increase.

Some of the residents who spoke on the issue, urged the Police to step up surveillance to check the rising crime rate in the city.