By Peter Duru

MAKURDI—A soldier  (names withheld) and two others were caught by a mob for allegedly kidnapping a middle-aged woman in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

Vanguard learned from an eyewitness, yesterday, that one of the suspects was an alleged deserter of the Nigerian Army, who ran away from the insurgency at Baga, Borno State.

The witness said: “We had just finished from our morning Mass at Saint Rita Catholic Church near the Makurdi Modern Market, when we saw some men on power bikes standing by the gate of the Church.

“Suddenly, we saw the men approach Mrs. Audu in her Toyota car and after forcefully collecting her car keys, they pushed her into the back seat of the car and sped off.

“However, shortly after the car sped off, the woman jumped out of the car and started shouting for help. That was when people realised what was going on.

“Luckily, the young men who were around chased her abductors in their cars and motorbikes. They overpowered and arrested three of them.”

Escape lynching

Vanguard gathered that the trio were beaten to a pulp and were about being set ablaze when police came to their rescue.

Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent Austin Ezeani, said the men were probably car snatchers from outside the state.

Ezeani said: “We are still investigating the matter, but what we have so far gathered is that they are car snatchers who came into the state from outside.

“One of the three arrested suspects was found with a pistol and eight rounds of live ammunition; he confessed that one of the two who are still at large was a soldier serving with the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu.

“The arrested suspect was said to be a deserter Lance Corporal, who escaped from the fight against insurgency in Borno State.

“Two of the suspects are still at large; we are on their trail and we will get them.”