Gunmen have kidnapped at least three as yet unidentified people in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria.
The victims were abducted in separate attacks across the state on Saturday, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.
The first attack occurred at around 2pm along Ifite-Amansea-Awka road in Awka North Local Government Area of ​​the state.
A video clip recorded during the attack has been circulating in several WhatsApp groups.
In the clip seen by PREMIUM TIMES, some gunmen, operating in a Sienna vehicle and a white sedan, betrayed an SUV vehicle and forced two unidentified male occupants into the Sienna and drove away.
In a separate attack in the afternoon of the same day, some armed hoodlums attacked and abducted another unidentified resident along Agulu-Oraukwu road in Anaocha Local Government Area of ​​the state.
It is not clear at this time whether the gunmen were the same ones who carried out the earlier attack.
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The police speak
The Anambra State Police confirmed the attack on the Ifite-Amansea-Awka highway in the state.
Police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga in a statement on Sunday said the police response team had recovered the victims' abandoned vehicle.
Mr Ikenga, the police superintendent, said a joint security operation had been launched to prevent further kidnappings in the area.
The police spokesman remained silent on the kidnapping attack along the Agulu-Oraukwu road in Anaocha Local Government Area of ​​the state.
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He said the state's Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Itam, assured that efforts were being made to locate the kidnappers and rescue the victims of the first attack.
Mr Itam, he said, has urged police tactical teams deployed to complement the joint security team to redouble their efforts to prevent the thugs from carrying out further attacks.
The police commissioner promised that the state police would not relent in their pursuit of the attackers.