GUNMEN on Monday night abducted the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman of Rogo Local Government Area in Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Fanka.
News Point Nigeria reports that residents said the attackers stormed Beli town, the chairman’s hometown, around 10:00pm, shooting sporadically before whisking him away.
A resident who pleaded anonymity told Daily Trust that attempts by locals to resist the gunmen failed.
“In the process of the shooting, they shot one Almajiri. He is still alive and receiving treatment,” the resident said.
According to the witness, the attackers fled towards Babbarika village but abandoned three motorcycles in the course of their escape.
He added that on Tuesday morning, residents reported that a Fulani man was seen in Rogo town speaking in Fulfulde and asking questions about the abandoned motorcycles.
He was apprehended, and his phones seized before being handed over to the police.
The resident said the person is currently in custody and suspected to either be one of the attackers or an informant.
He explained that the suspect’s house is in Beli town, which shares a border with Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
He added that while villages such as Bokoni and Zarewa had previously experienced similar attacks, this was the first time gunmen had targeted Beli town.
“As of now, nothing has been heard from the attackers. They have not reached out to the families of the chairman,” the source said.
The abduction comes amid rising insecurity in rural Kano communities, where gunmen have repeatedly targeted prominent figures and their families.
Twenty-four hours earlier, some gunmen killed the APC Chairman in Rantan village of Bebeji Local Government Area and abducted his wife and two others.
Also on Saturday, attackers killed three people and kidnapped the Sarkin Noma of Kano at Chiromawa town of Garun Malam Local Government Area. Police later confirmed his rescue from the attackers.
The latest incident has further heightened concerns over the worsening security situation in rural communities across the state, particularly as prominent political and community figures continue to come under attack.
Efforts to hear from the state police command were not successful, as calls sent to the command’s Public Relations Officer, Abdullahu Haruna Kiyawa, were neither answered nor returned.