The Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Kogi State, Wakili Damina, has been abducted by unknown gunmen.

The state secretary of MACBAN, Adamu Abubakar, told reporters in Lokoja on Tuesday that Mr Damina was abducted on April 30 by some armed men dressed in army camouflage.

He said witnesses said that the abductors, numbering about eight, came in a white bus at about 12 noon to “forcefully” take away the chairman from his house at Chikara village, Kogi Local Government.

Mr Abubakar said that he was informed of the incident about an hour later by the younger brother of Mr Damina who claimed he witnessed the incident.

The secretary said he immediately called the phone number of the missing chairman, but it rang out.

He said that Mr Damina’s number was switched off when he repeated the call about an hour later.

“Since then, his lines are not reachable and all efforts to know his whereabouts proved abortive,” he said.

Mr Abubakar said that he immediately notified the state Commissioner of Police of the development, adding that the state government was also informed through the Special Adviser on security matters to the governor, Jerry Omodara.

The secretary said that he and some members of the association visited the Nigeria Police Force headquarters , Abuja, to know if Mr Damina was in their custody but they said no.

He also said that a search party raised by MACBAN had visited other places, including abattoirs in and around Abuja to no avail.

The state Commissioner of police, Ede Ayuba, when contacted, said that the police are yet to locate the whereabouts of the chairman.

The commissioner said that immediately he was informed of the incident, he called Mr Damina’s phone severally but there was no response.

Mr Ayuba said efforts to get detailed information about the incident from the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area where the incident happened was unsuccessful as the matter was not officially reported to him.