Gunmen abducted two landlords in the Asokoro extension area of the Federal Capital Territory on Sunday, demanding a ransom of N20 million for their release.

According to reports, the armed assailants used one of the landlords as a tool to gain access to the victims.

Witnesses recounted that the gunmen held one of the landlords at gunpoint, allowing them entry to the premises.

A resident identified as James, who resides in the vicinity, recounted the incident, stating that the armed men forcibly took one victim while he was entering his residence.

He said, “It happened around 11 p.m. on Sunday. Because of the heat, one of the landlords slept outside. They saw him and pointed a gun at his head.

They asked him to take them to his house, and he showed them but they were not satisfied with the kind of house he lived in.

“There were other big houses next to his house. So, they went with him and asked him to knock on the gate of one of the houses.

When he knocked, as a well-known neighbour, the gate was opened for him. That was how they accessed the man’s house and kidnapped him.

“The second landlord had issues with his car and came home with a motorcycle. He was about to enter his house when they attacked him and whisked him away.”

The source noted that the kidnappers had reached out to the families and demanded N20 million to release the landlords.

He said, “Two hours after their operation, they called the two families to pay N10m each. One of the families pleaded to pay N2 million and assured them that they would get it almost immediately, but they rejected it and instead threatened to kill him if the N10 million was not complete.”

The FCT Police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.

The Asokoro Commander of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Mohammed Seidu, confirmed the incident, adding that efforts were ongoing with the police to rescue the victims.

“Policemen attached to the Asokoro Police Station are aware of the matter. We have been combing the nearby bushes to see if we can rescue them,” he said. (Nigerian Tribune)

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