From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Gunmen have again stormed Cross River state and abducted Commissioner for Women Affairs, Prof. Mrs Gertrude Njar, Kenneth Abang, an aide to House of Representaives member and two others.
The hoodlums also shot several travellers along Calabar-Ikom federal highway at the weekend and in the process wounded some of them, who are said to be receiving in difderent private clinics.
In the last couple of months, gang of armed men have been on rampage along the Calabar-Ikom federal highway terrorising travellers, kidnapping some and collecting ransom worth millions of naira even as several others were shot.
Investigations by Daily Sun showed that Mrs. Njar and another yet-to-be identified lady were abducted at difderent locations around Mayne Avenue-Atamunu axis in Calabar South at the early morning of Wednesday.
It was learnt that Kenneth Abang and her relative, Eunice were abducted at Iwuru axis of Calabar-Ikom highway on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. Abang and her relative, Eunice were on their way to Boki for Abang's father burial.
The former local government chairman and former commissioner, Ntufam Donatus Etim and a director at the state' s fire service unit were shot at different locations along the same Calabar-Ikom federal highway on Saturday, January 28, 2023.
Etim was said to be returning to Calabar after attending to a burial ceremony at the central part of the state when the hoodlums opened fire indiscriminately against travelers and the bullets hit one of his legs. He is currently receiving medical attention at one of the hospitals.
A witness, who simply gave his name as Ndarake Effiong, said Gertrude Njar was accosted by gunmen claiming to be military personnel along Mayne Avenue by Atamunu Street about 8:00am demamding to know why she was driving a car with covered plate number.
Effiong said while Mrs Njar was trying to explain and make some desperate calls to some top governement officials to come to her rescue, the kidnappers quickly stoppwd hee making calls and bundled her into her official vehicle and whiskws her away to an unkown destination.
Another withness, who don't want his name to be published, said another yet-to-be identified lady wa picked up by the hoodlums about 9:00am on Wednesday at Mayne Avenue.
As at the time of this report, a source close to Abang's family revealed that the kidnappers have called and demanded the sum of N60m as ransom before the duo can regain their freedom.
Calls put across to the Cross River state Police Command Public Relarions Officer, Mrs Irene Ugbo, with regard to the incessant kidnapping, was not returned.
But police sources revealed that crack detectives have been deployes by Police Commissioner to track down the hoodlums.
However, the State Commissioner for Information, Eric Anderson, has confirmed the incident, saying Prof. Njar's car has been found and retrieved adding that government will close up on the kidnappers. Njar is a Professor of Quantity Surveying at the University of Calabar and hails from Ikom local government area in central senatorial disteict in Cross River state.