A five-man gang of gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted the wife and daughter of Alhaji Muhammad Swasun, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The victims of the incident, which happened at Sakpefu area of the local government, were identified as Hajiya Fatima, the party chairman’s wife, and Amina, his daughter.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the attack occurred on Sunday night when the assailants jumped over the fence into the chairman’s compound, shooting sporadically to instil fear among residents.

The gunmen reportedly broke into one of the rooms where they found the wife and daughter and whisked them away at gunpoint.

A member of the state executive council of the party who craved anonymity confirmed the incident in an interview with Vanguard on Monday morning.

“It’s true that our Chairman’s wife and daughter in Patigi were kidnapped last night.

‘I spoke with him this morning, he said he was just lucky not to be kidnapped by the bandits, who jumped over his fence into the compound and started shooting sporadically into the air.

“He said they entered into one of the rooms where they found his wife and daughter and took them away, shooting into the air,” he said in a sober voice.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the gunmen reportedly operated for several minutes before whisking away their victims to an undisclosed location.

“The bandits abducted his wife, Haja Fatima, and his daughter, Amina, and took them to an unknown destination,” another member of the party said in an interview.

Recall that Patigi and other parts of Kwara North have witnessed repeated cases of abductions in recent months, with residents calling on government and security forces to step up efforts to curb the menace.

Contacted on the latest abduction in Patigi, Kwara State Police Commissioner, Mr Adekimi Ojo, said he was not aware of the incident.

“I’m yet to be informed,” he told Vanguard. (Vanguard)