The Kaduna Police Command on Sunday confirmed the kidnapping of a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bagudu Hirse, by unidentified gunmen.
The Command’s Public Relations officer, ASP Aliyu Usman, confirmed the incident in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna.
Usman said no arrest had been made so far, but the command had intensified efforts to track down the gunmen and free the former minister unhurt.
“The command will not sit and allow criminals to take laws into their hands. We will make sure that we arrest those criminals and they will face the law.
“We are committed to protecting lives and property of the people. We also appeal to the public for any useful information that will lead to the arrest of the criminals,” Usman said.
An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that the incident occurred at Inuwa Wada Road in Unguwar Rimi GRA, Kaduna.
The eyewitness said that the former minister, in the company of his friend, had gone on a condolence visit to the family of the late Sultan of Sokoto, Ibrahim Dasuki.
“The three young gunmen jumped down from a car and accosted the former minister almost immediately.
“From what I could hear, they were asking him to get into their car but he was trying to seek further explanations from them, at that time, people started approaching the scene.
“One of the gunmen raised a gun he was holding and made to shoot but it did not fire, he tried it the second time and it failed, but the third time, he shot into the air.
“Upon hearing the gun shot, people ran for their lives,” the eyewitness said. (NAN)