No fewer than 70 travellers have been reportedly kidnapped by gunmen along the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari Road on Wednesday.

Officials of the Kaduna State Police Command say they have however rescued 48 of the victims.

The incident occurred around Udawa village in Chikun Local Government Area along Brining Gwari – Kaduna road.

According to an eyewitness account, the vehicles conveying the travellers, mainly traders, were attacked by a large number of gunmen in the morning. The attackers later took them away into the forest.

Mohammed Jalige, a spokesman for the Kaduna Police Command, said on Thursday that police operatives from the Buruku Divisional Police Station were attacked by gunmen while escorting passengers, mostly traders.

He further explained that the police operatives successfully repelled the attackers through superior firepower, rescuing 48 kidnapped passengers.