Unidentified suspected kidnappers have killed a Syrian businessman, Ahmed Abu Areeda, and kidnapped his 14-year old son, Muhammad Ahmed, in Kano state.

The Syrian national was shot dead by the gunmen on Tuesday after he resisted kidnapping his son.

The incident occurred 8.05pm when the deceased accompanied by his two children went to the Kano state Office of the Nigerian Red Cross Society along Hospital road to pick his car.

Some eye-witnesses’ account said the gunmen were about eight in number who attacked the deceased and two of his children while he went to pick his car in the Nigerian Red Cross office premises.

A witness, who pleaded for anonymity said, “He closed his shop around 8pm, so he went to pick his car at the Red Cross office compound where he used to park. Unfortunately, the gunmen who parked outside the office in a green Peugeot car with tinted glass were apparently waiting for him. Some of them followed the deceased into the compound while others remained behind.

“Those that followed the Syrian man inside the Red Cross office attacked shot him in the head and took away one of his sons, Muhammad.”

Another witness, who was emotional, said, “He has gone! He was innocent. His second child ran to me and said come; some gunmen have killed my father. When I went to the scene I met him dead. They shot him through his ear.”

An associate of the deceased, who also pleaded for anonymity, told Daily Trust that the deceased had been in Nigeria for about 20 years now.

“He worked with Nigerian Braiding Manufacturers (NBM) for about 10 years as an accountant. He retired recently and opened this business for a living,” he added.

On his part, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Kano State Branch, Alhaji Musa D. Abdullahi, said, “I was called last night after closing from office that someone was killed in our compound. By the time I arrived, I met a lot of people here. So I assisted in conveying the corpse to the hospital.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Magaji Musa Majia, confirmed the incident and said, “It was a case of suspected kidnappers who came to kidnap a boy and in the process they killed his father.”

Majia added that no arrest was made so far in connection with the incident and the whereabouts of the abducted boy was still unknown.

He, however, said that police had commenced investigation into the case. (Daily Trust)

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