The Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Shettima Jauro Mohammed, has ordered an immediate manhunt for the abductors of Sangarin Dari, Emmanuel Omanji, a traditional ruler in Kokona Local Government Area, who was kidnapped by armed men in the state.
Omanji was abducted in the middle of the night when a group of gunmen, armed with AK-47 rifles, stormed his residence and whisked him away to an unknown location.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants arrived while residents were asleep and opened fire indiscriminately to create panic before taking the monarch.
A resident, who asked not to be named, described the scene: “The gunmen attacked while people were asleep. The gunfire was so intense that no one could dare come out. Everyone was afraid of being hit by stray bullets.”
By the time the gunshots ceased, residents discovered that the monarch had been taken without any resistance from security personnel, heightening the community’s sense of vulnerability.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Nasarawa State Police Command, Ramhan Nansel, said the Commissioner of Police has ordered the urgent deployment of police, military, and vigilante teams to ensure the monarch’s safe release.
“We are optimistic that the monarch will be rescued unharmed,” Nansel stated, while urging members of the public to provide any useful information to security agencies.
This incident is the latest in a disturbing trend of abductions targeting traditional rulers and community leaders across Nigeria’s North Central region, raising growing concerns over the deteriorating security situation in rural areas.
