Gunmen kidnap seven persons in Zamfara viewing centre

Gunmen on Saturday night storm a sports viewing centre in Birnin Magaji town of Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara State and kidnapped seven of the viewers and took them away.

According to the proprietor of the viewing centre, Sanusi Iliyasu Ishie, around 10pm, the abductors numbering about 20 stormed the viewing centre which is located on the outskirts of Birnin Magaji town.

He added that the abductors parked some distance away from the centre and demanded the whereabouts of the operator, and asked, ‘Is this Sanusi Viewing Centre?’

“Myself and the people around answered them in the affirmative because we mistook them for security operatives,” Sanusi said.

He said the gunmen held him hostage and broke into the viewing centre and began picking people indiscriminately.

“When the viewers realised that they were under siege, they started scampering out of the centre, screaming for help in panic. At the end, they picked seven of the viewers trying to escape,” he said.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Zamfara State Command, SP Muhammad Shehu, said the Command was already after the Bandits.

“The Command has sent its rescue-and-search team headed by the Area Commander to that effect,” he said.