More than 25 people were kidnapped along the Birnin Gwari-Funtua road in Kaduna state on Thursday.

Sources said the kidnappers struck between Kiryoyi and Maganda villages of Birnin Gwari local government area.

They reportedly stopped vehicles carrying passengers and ordered the people into the bush.

Danladi Duniya, chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Birnin Gwari, confirmed the  incident in a telephone interview.

“I am not in a position to say precisely the number of people abducted, but they are many.
May be 25 or more than that. I cannot not say, but all passengers in the vehicles were abducted,” he said.

“They stopped five vehicles, one of the driver who was driving a gulf car managed to escape. This is what we go through on the road and we are pleasing with the authorities to help us address this problem.
“People cannot go to farm and they cannot travel, this is too bad.”

Aliyu Mukhtar, spokesman of the Kaduna state police command, could not be reached on the telephone for comments.

Bandits have continued to operate in the area despite ongoing military operation.

Last week, 44 passengers travelling in five vehicles were abducted.