Gunmen on Tuesday attacked the Mista Ali community in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, kidnapping five residents and injuring two others.
The attack reportedly occurred opposite Nnenza Filling Station at about 3:45am.
This newspaper gathered that troops deployed in the community however responded to the situation.
According to Zagazola Makama, a publication that monitors security and counter-insurgency developments, the attackers had already seized five people by the time security personnel arrived at the scene.
The victims were identified as Nathaniel David, Musa Saleh, Zakariya Saleh, Mrs Faith Yusuf and Mrs Tina John.
Military sources quoted by the publication said the gunmen also shot two other residents, identified as Alhaji Abdullahi Usman Biyu and Maryam Adamu, before escaping with the five abducted victims.
“The attackers also shot two other victims, identified as Alhaji Abdullahi Usman Biyu and Maryam Adamu, before escaping with the abducted persons,” the publication reported.
The injured victims were subsequently evacuated to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), where they were taken for medical treatment.
Following the attack, troops reportedly joined forces with other security agencies to launch search-and-rescue operations aimed at locating the five kidnapped residents and apprehending those responsible.
The latest incident adds to the security challenges confronting communities across Plateau State and other parts of Nigeria’s North-Central region.