By Ugochukwu Alaribe & Femi Bolaji

A member of the Taraba State House of Assembly representing Nguroje state constituency, Bashir Mohammed, was yesterday kidnapped by gunmen, while a senior official of the Aba South council, Uzoma Nwolu, was also kidnapped in Aba, Abia State.

Mohammed is the minority leader of Taraba Assembly and the House Committee Chairman on Information.

A resident of his area in Jalingo, the state capital, who preferred anonymity, said the gunmen stormed the lawmaker’s residence behind Dr Jalo Eid prayer ground and shot sporadically before whisking him away around 1.30 am.

The source also disclosed that during the operation, which lasted about three hours, there was no interference by any security operative to stop their operation.

The state police command’s spokesman, David Misal, who confirmed the incident, said search operations have commenced to rescue the lawmaker from his abductors.

At press time, the abductors of the lawmaker were yet to establish contact with his family.

Bashir joins the list of Taraba lawmakers who have been kidnapped in recent years.

In January 2018, Hosea Ibi, a lawyer who represented Takum II constituency in the Taraba State House of Assembly, was found dead after he was abducted by gunmen on December 30, 2017.

Meanwhile, a senior official of Aba South council, identified as Mr Uzoma Nwolu, was kidnapped in Aba, Abia State, Tuesday night.

It was gathered that Nwolu was abducted about 7.10 pm as he drove into his street in Ogbor Hill area of the city without knowing the gunmen were trailing him.

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Workers of Aba South council were said to have been worried over the incident as the news filtered into the secretariat.

According to one of the workers, who preferred anonymity, “Mr Nwolu had driven into the street but didn’t realize that the gunmen were trailing him.

‘’They blocked him about a distance to his house, ordered him out of his vehicle before he was taken away in his vehicle by the gunmen.”

The source further told Vanguard that the vehicle was yet to be recovered.

At press time, it could not be confirmed whether the gunmen had contacted his family.

Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, Mrs Janet Agbede, did not respond to calls and message placed on her mobile number.

Vanguard News Nigeria