Nasarawa Council Chairman, Driver Kidnapped, Orderly Shot Dead

The chairman of Keffi local government council in Nasarawa State, Hon Muhammad Baba Shehu and his driver have been abducted by unknown gunmen.

The police orderly to the chairman, Sergeant Alhassan Habeeb, was killed on the spot when the gunmen opened fire at Shehu’s official vehicle conveying the three men.

The incident took place early Friday morning along Gudi district of Akwanga local government area of the state as the chairman was heading to Lafia, after attending an event in Keffi.

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Gudi is the home town of the state governor, Governor Abdullahi Sule.

Confirming the incident, the state Police command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Ramhan Nansel said the incident happened around 7:30pm on Friday.

He said the police sergeant attached to the chairman, Alhassn Habib, was shot dead on the spot as a result of exchange of fire, and his pistol was found inside the car.

“They shot his police orderly dead. We have his pistol in the car but both the chairman and his driver were whisked away by the gunmen,” he said.

ASP Ramhan said investigation has been intensified, and that the body of the deceased police officer has been recovered.

“No information yet about the whereabout of the kidnapped chairman and his driver. We have mobilised our special forces to ensure that they rescue them unhurt,” ASP Nansel added.

The police image maker disclosed that police operatives had taken over the location of the attack in order to rescue the victims and arrest the kidnappers.

“Police operatives are now in the area where they were kidnapped. We have taken over the environment and I can assure you that they would soon be rescued and the perpetrators of the act would not escape the wrath of the law”, he said

A source who pleaded anonymity said the chairman, on Friday night, while travelling with his driver and police orderly, ran into a roadblock mounted by gunmen along the Keffi-Akwanga road. The source said shot sporadically in the air which forced their victims to stop their vehicle before they were kidnapped.

The source further said that in a bid to put the situation under control, the police orderly, made efforts to repel the attack but unfortunately lost his life in the process.

“We received information that the Executive Chairman was coming from a programme organised by the Keffi Old Boys Association at the Government College, Keffi when his vehicle was attacked.

“His police orderly made efforts to handle the situation but he was shot dead by the gunmen before they were able to take the chairman and his driver away,” the source said.