Two Chinese nationals working on the Zungeru Hydro Electric dam project in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State were on Tuesday kidnapped by unknown gunmen.
During the raid by the gunmen three Nigerians were reported to have been shot dead while one Chinese was reportedly injured.
It was learnt that the incident, which occurred at about 6pm on the fateful Tuesday, was when the foreigners and their Nigerian counterparts were engaged in the laying of electric cable to neighboring Gusase community.
According to an eye witness account, not less than 20 of the armed gunmen riding on motorcycles stormed the site where the foreign and Nigerian nationals were working and started shooting indiscriminately.
In the confusion that ensued the three Nigerians and one Chinese were hit by bullets while the two other Chinese were forced on two motorcycles and taken into the bush.
The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the incident in a statement by the Public Relations Officer DSP Wasiu Abiodun.
In the statement Abiodun said: “On 04/1/2022 at about 1630hrs, suspected armed bandits attacked workers of Sino-Hydro Power Dam. The workers comprised of some Chinese expatriates and local staffs who were attacked while working on transmission line tower along Gussase village”.
He continued that: “However, Police tactical team attached to the facility engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel while four of the expatriates were rescued with one of them and a local staff sustaining bullet injury and taken to hospital for medical treatment”.
Abiodun said: “In the process of scampering for safety during the gun duel, three among the expatriates could not be accounted for presently” adding that: “Joint Police/military tactical teams at Zungeru are already on aggressive manhunt for the hoodlums and rescue of the missing/abducted expatriates”.
