Gunmen have kidnapped the Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON), an Abuja-based non-governmental organisation.

Lawal Abubakar, the State Chairman of HERFON and retired civil servant with the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, was abducted Saturday evening with his brother along Dogon Dawa-Birnin Gwari road.

Mustapha Jumare, former Kaduna State Chairman of HERFON and Co-Chairman of Kaduna Mortality Accountability Mechanism (KADMAM), confirmed the incident to our reporter on Sunday. He disclosed that the abductors demanded for N40 million ransom.

Jumare said that the car in which Abubakar and his brother were travelling was abandoned along the road by their abductors.

“The car has been recovered. The abductors demanded for N80 million ransom yesterday (Saturday). They later came down to N8,000 yesterday and later today (Sunday), they called again and said we should give them N1 million,” he said.

Mukhtar Aliyu, spokesperson of the Kaduna State Police Command, when contacted on phone, said he was not yet aware of the kidnap.

“I am not aware of the kidnap. I am out of town for an official engaged, but will do my findings and get back to you please,” he said.

He didn’t, however, respond to follow-up calls and text message to his number.