Two of the 14 villagers abducted at the Gefe community in Kajuru LGA of Kaduna State have escaped after their abductors dozed off at their camp.

A community leader from the area, who preferred anonymity for security reasons, confirmed the development to our reporter through telephone.

He said the bandits, who had over drunk and smoked Indian, dozed off, saying two of the victims summoned courage to untie themselves and escaped.

He said, “It was about 9:12 am, when one of the neighbouring village chiefs called to inform me that two people who escaped from bandits’ den are with him.”

He said he mobilised some vigilantes to the community to identify them and return the victims back home.

“Even as I am talking to you right now, the victims are at the hospital with their families,” he said.

He also disclosed that another charcoal dealer was arrested at a neighbouring Kurmin-Kare community with drugs, wines, cartons of energy drinks allegedly conveying them to bandits at their hideout.

He said the suspect was arrested by troops when he was moving the items, including Indian hemp into a pickup meant to go and load charcoal for him at the forest.

The spokesman for the Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Hassan Mansur, could not be reached for comment on the incident. (Daily Trust)