Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
A village head in Yobe State have been abducted by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorist, the Police have confirmed.
The village head, Isa Mashio, of Mashio village in Fune Local Government Area of the state, according to the villagers who spoke to journalists, was abducted in his house.
The village head was said to have been abducted last Saturday night in Mashio by unidentified gunmen, who stormed the area in gun blazing action.
One of the villagers, who spoke to journalists in the state yesterday, said the people of the village were still perplex with the belief that the abduction could have been carried out by insurgents as no one has called to ask for ransom yet.
The villagers, who could not give the exact number of the gunmen who launched the attack, said they came from the southern side of the village at about 10 p.m. and got away through the same direction after the village head was abducted.
Apart from the abduction, the villagers did not say if other crimes were committed by the gunmen.
Meanwhile, the state Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Dungus Abdulkareem, in a short statement, said the police have launched a search-and-rescue operation for the district head.
He said the gunmen, who kidnapped the village head, are yet to be identified, adding: “The District Head of Mashio under Fune LGA, Alhaji Isa Mai Buba, was abducted by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.”
The statement added that: “At about 2205hrs on August 15, 2020, the gunmen attacked the house of the district head with heavy fire arms and disappeared with him into thin air.
“Search parties were later deployed but no positive response of his whereabouts is yet known.
“The police command had also intensified efforts to rescue the District Head.
“Meanwhile, investigations are also ongoing to identify the hoodlums. More information will be communicated if there’s any further development.”
