Terrorist Attack: Gunmen abduct monarch, wife in Nasarawa

On Sunday night, HRH Jibril Mamman Waziri, the King of the Gurku community in the Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State and his wife Hajiya Sa’adatu Waziri were abducted by heavily armed men believed to be kidnappers.

The First-Class Royal father and his wife were kidnapped from the palace, which is surrounded by mountains, and taken by the assailants to an unidentified location.

The incident occurred at around 10 p.m., after most residents had gone to sleep in their individual homes, according to a community resident who asked to remain anonymous.

He said, “It was around 10 pm when the sad incident occurred. The gunmen who came in their numbers, abducted the Chief and his wife. They did not get any help from the security agencies that was why the gunmen were able to take them away.

“We are calling on the Police and other security agencies to urgently intervene in the matter so that they can be released as soon as possible.”

DSP Ramhan Nansel, the state’s police public relations officer, confirmed the incident to our correspondent in Lafia on Monday and said efforts were being made to save the chief and his wife without any injuries.

He said, “I wish to confirm that around 10pm of August 6 2023, a distress call was received by the Nasarawa State Police command that the palace of the Chief of Gurku town located 10 kilometers away from Mararaba main town in a mountainous area, was invaded by men suspected to be kidnappers.

“Upon receipt of the information, the Commissioner of Police, Maiyaki Baba, deployed a combined team of police operatives in collaboration with vigilante groups to the scene.

“Upon arrival, it was discovered that the Chief and his wife were abducted to an unknown destination. The surrounding bushes and the mountains were combed but all efforts to get them proved abortive.

“The Commissioner of police has further deployed additional men of the tactical teams; the anti-kidnapping unit, and officers from the Karu area command to the scene in order to rescue the Chief and his wife unhurt.”