A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bagudu Hirse has been abducted by gunmen in Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria.
The former minister was said to have been abducted when he visited President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew, Mr Mamman Daura at his Inuwa road residence in Kaduna Metropolis.
Security operatives in Kaduna state are stepping up search for the abductors of the former minister but report from Kaduna state on Monday morning indicate that the abductors were yet to establish contact with his family or security operatives.
The former Minister in company of a friend, had gone to pay condolence visit to the family of the late Sultan of Sokoto, Ibrahim Dasuki on Kabiru road, few meters away from Inuwa Wada road and was said to have stopped over at the house of Daura who was at home receiving guests and other family members.
Eyewitness said he had got out of his car and was exchanging pleasantries with some guests who were standing in front of the house, when three men inside an ash coloured Toyota Corolla car stopped, jumped down from the car and whisked the former minister away almost immediately.
Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Kaduna Police command, Aliyu Usman, who confirmed the incident, said a team of detectives had been deployed across the state to ensure safe and unconditional release of the former minister from his abductors.
Cases of kidnapping of high profile individuals is becoming rampant in Kaduna state, with the kidnappers making demand of huge amounts. It has become a growing trade for the criminals.
In October, a former Minister of Environment, Mrs Laurenttia Mallam and her husband were abducted by gunmen along Abuja-Kaduna highway, and were released few days after.
This is inspite of the inauguration of a special anti-kidnapping squad in the state by the Inspector General of Police two months ago.
