By FEMI OJOMO

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a foreign contractor in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, killing his driver and a soldier attached to him.

An eyewitness said the assailants trailed the contractor, a Lebanese to the construction site at about 5:00 pm on Wednesday, and killed his driver and the soldier, before whisking him away.

The source informed that the armed men who were masked and were about six or seven in number suddenly stormed the site, shooting sporadically into the air, while everyone else escaped from the scene. According to him, the remains of the driver and the soldier were later discovered at the scene.

The spokesperson of Ondo State Police Command, SP ‘Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident to Channels Television in a telephone conversation.

She said policemen have been dispatched to the area, hoping to rescue the expatriate and also arrest the assailants as soon as possible.

Odunlami appealed to members of the public with any relevant information that could help in the police investigation not to hesitate in doing so.

Also, the Commander of Amotekun Corps in Ondo State, Adetunji Adeleye said his men are already working on the case.

Kidnapping has become an increasing security threat in several parts of Nigeria, especially in the northern regions where heavily-armed gangs pillage villages and do cattle raiding.

Recently, the gunmen have turned their focus to rural schools and universities, where they kidnap schoolchildren.

Around 1,500 schoolchildren were seized last year in 20 mass kidnappings in schools across the region, with 16 students losing their lives, according to the UN’s child welfare agency UNICEF.

Kidnap victims are usually released shortly after during negotiations with local authorities, though state officials always deny that any ransom payments are made. (Channels TV)

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