By Kingsley Omonobi— ABUJA

Following the abduction of three person’s along the Pai-Leleyi Road in Kwali Area council, the FCT Police Command has launched a manhunt for the kidnappers.

FCT Police spokesperson, ASP Maryam Yusuf, who confirmed the kidnap, noted that the Command had rescued 19 people from kidnappers along Kwali axis in the last few weeks.

This is just as gunmen suspected to be kidnappers, during the week, abducted four other persons at Mararaban Kuchichanchan, along the same Pai Road, Kwali Area Council of Federal Capital Territory.

Sources, who preferred anonymity, said a retired director narrowly escaped abduction, but sustained an injury from a stone hauled at him by the criminals.

The source said the incident happened around 5p.m. on Wednesday when gunmen appeared from a nearby bush with guns and flagged down a vehicle conveying the retired director.

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He said the director, who was sitting in front tried to open the door, but that one of the gunmen smashed the side windscreen of the vehicle with a huge stone, which also hit the director.

Eyewitnesses said the gunmen did not take the director away as he had gone unconscious in pool of his blood.

The retired director was later taken to an undisclosed hospital in Gwagwalada, where he was treated and discharged on Thursday morning.

Confirming the incident, a statement by FCT Police Command said the Command had activated an operation to rescue the three kidnapped victims.

She said the successful rescue operation of the 19 victims was conducted by a joint team of Police operatives from the command, who responded promptly to the occasion and engaged the heavily-armed hoodlums in a fierce gun duel.

“However, a concerted effort is being made to rescue the remaining three victims in the custody of the hoodlums who escaped into the bordering forest,” she added.

Vanguard News Nigeria