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Gunmen kidnap 3 soldiers, 30 civilians in Enugu

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Over 35 people, including 3 soldiers have been abducted by gunmen suspected to be terror herdsmen in Enugu-Ezike, located in the Igbo Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.

NewsBand gathered that the sad incident occurred on Thursday, January 9, 2025, along the Enugu-Nsukka Road.

Three buses were reportedly attacked, and while four Nigerian army officers were initially taken, one soldier, PTE Usendu Emediong (24NA/87/7560), managed to escape.

However, PTE Usoro Ezekiel Paul (24NA/87/6751), Jeremiah Inimbom Thomas (24NA/87/7937), and PTE Victor Itiat Godwin (24NA/87/8348) were among those taken, along with the other passengers.

A source while recounting the attack said that the kidnappers, numbering over 17, rounded up the passengers and marched them into a nearby forest after operating for about an hour.

“Not far from where I’m lodging in my hometown in Enugu-Ezike, a 17-member ragtag Fulani herdsmen kidnap gang operated for about 60 minutes on a busy road that links the Eastern part to the Northern part of the country. The road is bad,” he said.

The source further explained that the criminal elements attacked three 18-seater buses, abducting at least 35 people. During the abduction, one of the victims managed to escape and later revealed to the authorities that he was a soldier.

“He said he and three other soldiers were traveling from Akwa Ibom to Kaduna State in one of the commercial vehicles,” the source added.

A local hunter, who encountered the gunmen in the bush, revealed that one of the victims, tired from walking, was shot dead after pleading for rest.

“Yesterday, local hunters, about three of them from my village on their usual routine encountered the kidnappers in the bush but had to hide. They heard one of the victims complaining that he couldn’t continue walking as he was tired but guess what? He was shot dead,” he said.

Meanwhile, after hours of searching, military personnel and the local hunters located the body of the victim, which was subsequently transported to a morgue.

A military signal sighted by this medium confirmed the abduction of the soldiers.

The report indicated that soldiers from the 87 Regular Recruits Intake (87RRI) were among those kidnapped.

TEXT: SPECIAL SITREP. NO0 AS AT 110900A JAN 25. KIDNAPPING AT ABOUT 101515A JAN 25 INFO RECEIVED FROM 24NA/87/7560 PTE USENDU EMEDIONG ETIM REVEALED THAT 3 X SLDRS OF 87RRI CMM 24NA/87/6751 PTE USORO EZEKIEL PAUL WITH PHONE NO 070****** CMM 24NA/87/7937 PTE JEREMIAH INIMBOM THOMAS WITH PHONE NO 080******* AND 24NA/87/8348 PTE ITIAT VICTOR GODWIN WITH PHONE NO 080****** WHILE RTN FROM PASS WERE KIDNAPPED ALONG ENUGU – NSUKKA RD AT ABOUT 091740A JAN 25 IN A COMMERCIAL VEH FROM AKWA IBOM TO KADUNA STATE. REQ YOU FWD INFO TO ASA FOR NEC ACTION. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION IN PROGRESS. PSE ACK,” the military signal, released by Major AE Edet, reads.