Gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits, Thursday evening kidnapped a lecturer with the Abia State University Uturu, and his niece.
The yet-to be apprehended bandits also abducted another teacher at the University’s International Secondary School Uturu and his wife travelling together with the lecturer.
The victims were said to be traveling to Ozuitem for a religious programme when the incident happened.
According to a university source who pleaded anonymity, the victims were driving on the Campus/ Isuikwuato road when they ran into the band of bandits who began to shoot sporadically, thus forcing the vehicles in which the victims were traveling to a halt.
They were later marched into the bush by the gunmen.
The source said that there were other travelers including another lecturer of the university who also ran into the band but it is not yet clear the actual number of persons whisked away by the gunmen.
When contacted for confirmation, the Public Relations Officer PRO of the university, Mr. Chijioke Nwogu promised to get back to our Correspondent if he gathered details of the incident.
It also not yet clear if any contacts had been made with the family of the victims.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer PPRO Geoffrey Ogbonna confirmed the incident but said only one lecturer is still in captivity.
He said that the other victims had been rescued, adding that efforts were ongoing to also rescue the remaining victims.
Abductions by Fulani herdsmen were rampart around Isuikwuato and Ozuitem axis until the Eastern Security Network ESN operatives confronted them some months ago.
But with the manhunt on ESN by security operatives, the bandits seem to be having a field day now.