Gunmen kidnap two Chinese nationals, kill three Nigerians in Niger

Gunmen kidnapped two Chinese nationals working on the Zungeru Hydroelectric dam project in Niger State’s Rafi Local Government Area on Tuesday.

Three Nigerians are said to have been killed and one Chinese is said to have been injured during the gunmen’s raid.

The incident occurred around 6 p.m., when the foreigners and their Nigerian counterparts were working on the installation of electric cables in the nearby Gusase community.

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It was learned that a group of 20 gunmen on motorcycles stormed the site where the foreign and Nigerian nationals were working and began shooting indiscriminately.

The three Nigerians and one Chinese were hit by bullets in the ensuing chaos, while the two other Chinese were forced onto two motorcycles and driven into the bush.

The incident was confirmed by the Niger State Police Command in a statement released by the Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun.

“On 04/1/2022 at about 1630hrs, suspected armed bandits attacked workers of Sino-Hydro Power Dam,” Abiodun said in the statement. Some Chinese expatriates and local employees were attacked while working on a transmission line tower near Gussase village.

“However, a police tactical team stationed at the facility engaged the hoodlums in a gunfight, rescuing four of the expatriates, with one of them and a local staff member suffering a bullet wound and being taken to the hospital for treatment.”

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“Three of the expatriates were currently unaccounted for while fleeing for safety during the gun duel.

“At Zungeru, joint police/military tactical teams are already on the lookout for hoodlums and rescuing missing/abducted expatriates.”