Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted an expatriate working with Hartland Construction Company in the small town of Idegun, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.

This is coming less than one year after another expatriate working for the working company was abducted at Ahor on the Benin bypass.

The foreign supervisor of Agbede/Anwain Road, a project of the Edo State Government was reportedly kidnapped on Monday evening after the mobile policeman assigned to guard him was killed by the heavily armed hoodlums around the local secondary school.

It would be recalled that during the operation at Ahor on the Benin bypass in June last year, the driver was gunned down by the suspected kidnappers while the two armed mobile police guards managed to escape.

An eyewitness who did not want his name in print explained that the incident happened during an inspection of the road by the expatriate when the armed men numbering about five suddenly appeared from the bush with guns, killed the policeman and snatched the foreigner away.

The source said that the suspected kidnappers who came on foot by way of neighbouring Uromi in Esan North East Local Government Area disappeared into the bush with the foreigner after the fatal shooting.

The source added that the villagers in league with local vigilante groups set out shortly after the incident, combing the bush in a futile effort to rescue the foreigner.

The Edo State Police spokesman, Mr Kontongs Bello, said he is yet to be briefed on the issue, assuring that he will speak on the incident once he gets the full details.

(Nigerian Tribune)