Gunmen yesterday abducted five residents of the Dogon Ruwa community in the Bashar District in the Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State in market.

According to sources, the hoodlums also burgled shops and business centres, carting away huge quantity of food items during the attack.

A youth leader in Wase, Shapi Sambo, told our correspondent that the bandits arrived around 11 am on motorcycles and started shooting when residents and visitors were transacting business in the market, forcing people to flee the market and theirs homes.

He said: “They stormed the area, almost surrounding the community, and started shooting. “Some of them went to the market straight where they picked five shop owners. We believe they targeted the market day to steal food items.”

Spokesman for the Military Task in Jos, code name Operation Safe Haven, Major Samson Zhakom and Police Public Relations Officer DSP Alfred Alabo had yet to issue statements on the incident as of the time of filing this report.