Kidnappers have abducted a primary school teacher, Ishaya Ismaila, while he was harvesting maize at his farm in Tungan Maje, a community in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

A resident of Tungan Maje, Abdullahi Garba, said the incident happened while the victim was harvesting his maize around 5:28 pm, on Thursday.

He said the kidnappers, wielding sophisticated weapons, emerged from the bush and whisked him away.

Garba said the victim, who had gone to the farm on a motorcycle, screamed when the kidnappers struck. This, he said, attracted the attention of another farmer, who sighted the kidnappers.

He said the other farmer narrowly escaped to the village to report the incident.

“The teacher was busy harvesting maize when the kidnappers, wielding AK-47 rifles, suddenly emerged and whisked him away. It was when they were leading him out of the farm that he screamed, which attracted the attention of another farmer who sighted the kidnappers and escaped back home to report,” he said.

Garba added that the victim teaches at the Local Education Authority (LEA) Dakwa 1 in Bwari Area Council but resides in Tungan Maje with his family.

We’re confused, depressed – Wife

Meanwhile, the wife of the abducted class teacher, Mrs. Halima Ishaya, said the entire family has been thrown into confusion and depression following her husband’s abduction by kidnappers at the farm.

Mrs. Ishaya, who spoke to Abuja Metro by telephone on Saturday, narrated that her husband went to the farm on his bike to harvest maize when she suddenly received a distress call on Thursday night that he had been kidnapped.

“I was at home when I received a call from the head teacher of the school in Dakwa that my husband has been abducted at the farm,” she said.

She said that upon receiving the call, she alerted some neighbours who helped her reach out to the vigilante in neighbouring Anagada village.

She said the vigilante immediately mobilized to the farm but were unlucky as the kidnappers had already left with her husband. Only her husband’s motorcycle and a bag of maize were found at the farm.

“And that same night, we reported to the police before they joined the vigilante to the farm and took pictures of the motorcycle and bag of maize and left, but up till now, we haven’t heard anything from the police again,” she said.

Mrs. Ishaya disclosed that the family has been struggling to see how they can raise the N1 million ransom being demanded by the kidnappers for her husband’s release.

“So far, only N185,000 has been raised, and the family is in confusion as we don’t even know where to start. Hence, we are calling on good Samaritans to come to our aid,” she said amid tears on the phone.

Victim’s school head confirms incident, ransom demand

The head teacher of the LEA Primary School, Dakwa 1, Malam Zakari Dantani, where the victim teaches, confirmed the abduction of the teacher when he spoke to our reporter by telephone on Saturday night.

He said he received a distress call on Thursday night about the abduction, adding that he immediately alerted the Kubwa branch chairman of the Nigeria Union Teachers (NUT) and some of their colleagues in the school.

The head teacher, however, disclosed that the incident had been reported to security operatives.

He also said a contact has been established with the abductors, who are demanding N1 million ransom.

“So, I have also informed the wife of the victim, who resides in Tungan Maje, about the ransom, while the branch chairman of Kubwa NUT and the state wing of the union were also informed about the incident,” he said.

A teacher in the school, who preferred anonymity, also confirmed his colleague’s abduction at the Tungan Maje farm on Thursday.

He said the teachers were struggling to see how they could contribute money to ensure the victim regains freedom unhurt.

“Even as I am talking to you right now, some of the victim’s colleagues have started contributing money, even as the country is hard, to see that the victim regains his freedom from the hands of his abductors,” he said.

The source also disclosed that a bank account had been made public to solicit financial support from the public so that N1 million can be raised to meet the kidnappers’ demands.

When our reporter visited the Zuba police division, a police source confirmed the abduction, saying efforts were ongoing to track down the hoodlums and rescue the victim unhurt. (Daily Trust)