Gunmen Storm Niger Again, Abduct District Head, Two Wives

• Chinese coy abandons Zungeru Hydro Dam project over insecurity

Another black Sunday confronted the residents of Zungeru in Wushishi local Government Area of Niger state as unknown gunmen abducted the District Head, Mallam Mustapha Madaki, (Madakin Zungeru), and his two wives.

The threesome were whisked away to an unknown destination by the gunmen numbering about 20.

According to confirmed reports, the invaders, who raided the area at about 1:40am on Sunday, June 6, went directly to the District Head’s palace located within the heart of Zungeru town.

Eyewitnesses said the operation that lasted for about 30 minutes saw the gunmen abducting the Royal father from one of the wives’ room.

They said aside from the room’s owner, Habiba, the gunmen also took along with them the Madakin Zungeru’s second wife during the operation.

Competent sources with no resistance or help coming from any quarters, the gunmen, with their motorcycles parked about 500 meters away from the crime scene, trekked into the town to carry out their criminal mission.

It was also gathered suspicions are rife that some informants might have tipped off the gunmen because unfortunately only Madaki and his two wives were targets of the attack.

Family sources, who expressed worries about the safety and security of the District Head and his two wives, said the abductors are yet to contact with them, noting that all cell phones belonging to the victims have been switched off for now.

The latest incident comes exactly one week after 163 children of Salihu Tanko Islamic school in Tegina, Rafi Local Government Area of the state were abducted and are still in captivity.

Interestingly, Zungeru, which host the 700 MageWatts hydro Electricity dam currently under construction, is about 30 kilometers from Tegina.

In another development, the Chinese firm handling the construction work on the 700 Megawatt of the Zungeru hydro dam, Messrs CNEEC-Sino hydro, have abandoned the project site, citing security reasons for its action.

Reports said all the expatriates working at site were evacuated on Saturday morning and escorted out of the state under heavy security before the Madakin Zungeru’s abduction that took place in the early hours of Saturday.