Kidnappers of Nasarawa State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Yakubu Lawal, have demanded the sum of N100m as ransom, according to reports by Daily Trust.

The police in Nasarawa State have confirmed the abduction of the commissioner.

Confirming the commissioner’s abduction in a statement on Tuesday morning, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Rahman Nansel, said the command had already drafted operatives to the scene of the incident with a view to rescuing the victim unhurt.

The Commissioner of Police, however, urged the citizens of the state to provide the command with useful information that can lead to the rescue of the victim and arrest of the suspects via the following numbers: 08035951018, 08033806409, 08037461715 and 08036157659.

Reports said Lawal was kidnapped by gunmen at his residence in Nasarawa Eggon, the headquarters of Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area on Monday, August 15, 2022.

It was gathered that the gunmen stormed the residence of the information commissioner around 8:45pm and shot into the air to scare residents of the area before abducting him.

Meanwhile, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has decried the spate of kidnappings across the state.

He spoke after chairing the quarterly meeting of the Nasarawa Enabling Business Environment Council, at the Government House, on Tuesday. The governor, while reacting to the abduction of his commissioner, said efforts were on top gear to draft additional security to Nasarawa Eggon to safeguard the lives of citizens. The governor, who further expressed worry, added that he had no idea that some of his commissioners did not have police attached to them not until the commissioner of information, culture and tourism was abducted by gunmen.

He, therefore, urged political appointees and other top government functionaries to be more cautious while discharging their responsibilities. (Nigerian Sketch)