The traditional ruler in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Emmanuel Omanji, has been abducted by Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.

The monarch, otherwise referred to as the Sangarin Dari, was abducted from his Dari residence, headquarters of Kokona LGA, between 11 pm and 11:30 pm on Wednesday.

An eyewitness account confirmed that the gunmen invaded the community in large numbers, causing people to scamper for safety, as the assailants fired shots in the air to ward off any security threat before whisking the ruler away.

“The kidnappers stormed the palace and fired sporadically to scare people, and took the king away,” said Nasarawa State Commissioner of Education, Dr. John Mamman, told newsmen over the phone

Already, Commissioner of Police Shetima Jauro Mohammed has mobilised the anti-kidnapping unit, the military, and a vigilante group to conduct a search-and-rescue operation and apprehend the perpetrators. Omanji’s abduction is coming barely three months after he was crowned Sangarin Dari by the college of selectors and formally appointed by the Nasarawa State Government.,

The Nasarawa State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, has appealed to the public to provide any useful information that may assist the rescue operation, assuring them of strict confidentiality.

“I confirm that this incident happened yesterday. ” Nansel said.

Kidnapping and communal clash has become endemic in Nasarawa State, a region blighted by widespread insecurity as roving gangs of armed men abduct people from villages, highways and schools, and demand ransom money from their relatives.

THE GUARDIAN