Fear grips Kwara community as petrol station owner, manager Kidnapped while returning home
A wave of anxiety has swept through Gbugbu town in the Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State following the abduction of Alhaji Abbas, the owner of Daniyan Shaba Global Investment Filling station, and his manager, Abubakar Issa, by unidentified gunmen last weekend.
The kidnappers have reached out to the family, demanding a ransom of N200 million for Abbas’s release. Disturbingly, this incident marks the second time Alhaji Abbas has been targeted by bandits, having previously escaped a similar attempt.
According to witnesses, the kidnapping occurred around 7:20 p.m. on the Gbugbu–Ndeji Road while the victims were returning home from work. Eyewitnesses reported that the gunmen, who arrived on motorcycles, fired shots into the air to disperse bystanders before forcing Abbas and Issa to stop their vehicle.
One onlooker recounted the harrowing experience, saying, “After forcing them to park, the kidnappers seized the victims and set their vehicle ablaze before fleeing into the nearby forest.” Residents believe this forest serves as a hideout for the kidnappers.
In light of these events, the community has urged both security agencies and the state government to take immediate action to tackle the rising insecurity in the area. “We are entering the rainy season, and our farmers need to go to their farmlands,” expressed a concerned resident. “If this insecurity continues, it will force us to abandon our farms, which will have severe consequences for our community.”
However, there’s no official statement from Kwara Police Command as of the time of filing this report.
