Unidentified gunmen in the early hours of Sunday abducted the Permanent Secretary in the Taraba State Ministry of Water Resources, Susana Jonathan.
Jonathan was kidnapped in her house around the ATC area of Jalingo at about 2:17am, residents said.
This is coming five days after the Deputy Registrar of the Taraba State University, Jalingo, Sanusi Sa’ad, was kidnapped in his house in the university’s quarters, a few metres from the house of the abducted Permanent Secretary.
Residents of the area said the gunmen who picked the Permanent Secretary stormed the house and shot sporadically in the air before taking her away to an unknown destination.
Taraba State Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police David Misal, who confirmed the development to our correspondent, said they were yet to get official reports from the family regarding the incident.
“From the intelligence report we have received, the woman is nowhere to be found, but we are yet to receive any official report regarding the incident,” the Police spokesman said.
“We want to call on the public not to be afraid of reporting any security threat promptly to security agencies to enable us take proactive measures,” he said.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous state, is currently experiencing a rising wave of banditry, including kidnapping, armed robbery, among others. The attackers target both travellers on the country’s highways and individuals in the cities and countryside.
The Taraba Police command on Wednesday refuted a report that Jalingo the State capital had been invaded by kidnappers, a development that has forced residents of the city to desert the streets as early as 7:30pm daily due to fear of of being kidnapped.
Kidnapping in Taraba, especially Jalingo the state capital, is gradually becoming a daily occurrence, just two weeks ago, two of the wives of the Permanent Secretary in the Deputy Governor’s office were kidnapped and released after ransom was paid.
Nathaniel Gbaoron, Jalingo
