From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Gunmen on Saturday evening invaded Iyemero-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State and abducted a popular trader, Alhaja Nusirat Saliu.
A man known to be a farmer was macheted in the head and sustained severe head injury during the process which was accompanied with sporadic gunshots.
The sporadic gunshots had caused the people in the community to run in different directions, as the kidnappers grabbed the victim and forcefully dragged her into the nearby forest that leads to Kwara and Kogi borders.
An eyewitness told newsmen on Sunday that the abduction happended around 8pm on Saturday.
He said the abductors, numbering five, who all brandished AK 47 rifles, had had a pleasurable time at a section of the town and pretended to be buyers, who came on friendly visit before they struck and took Mrs Saliu to an unknown destination.
“They were at a section of the town pretending to be buyers and used the opportunity to study the woman’s movements in and out of her shop. They waited till nightfall and suddenly, we heard gunshots that lasted for about five minutes, with this, we knew something was wrong.
“They followed the woman into her shop, grabbed and dragged her into the forest as they shot indiscriminately to scare the people.
“As they were doing this, a farmer who was at the shop then and made efforts to struggle with them was shot. But when they realised the pellets couldn’t penetrate the man, they drew out a sharp cutlass and inflicted a deep cut on his head. He is presently at the hospital.”
The source said the police, local hunters, Amotekun Corps and vigillance group have started combing the sprawling forest that bordered two neighbouring states without success.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Sunday Abutu, said the Command is yet to be briefed about the incident.
However, an eyewitness revealed that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ikole Council Area visited the community around 7.12am on Sunday and promised to recover the woman and also apprehend the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
