It was learnt that the gunmen took away Derwan, the district head of Panyam, after scaring residents with gunshots in the early hours of Monday.

A resident of Panyam community, Moses Garuba, confirmed the abduction of the monarch on Monday.

Garuba said, “It was last night around midnight that the bandits, who were more than 20 and heavily armed, surrounded the district head’s palace in Panyam.

Because his house was not fenced, some villagers who saw how his house was surrounded by strange people alerted other members of the community through a community bell. But immediately the bandits heard the bell, they started firing gunshots and eventually went away with the traditional ruler, leaving the community helpless.”

Some residents, who condemned the attack said that the incident had been reported to the police division in the locality

The spokesman for state police Command, Alabo Alfred, could not be reached when contacted on the incident as his mobile phones were switched off

The kidnap of the district head is the latest in a series of abductions targeted at traditional rulers and the clergymen in the state.

On Sunday, last week, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the Jos East Local Government Area of the state, Reverend James Kantoma, and a traditional ruler in the state, Ugoh Ababs, were kidnapped by gunmen.

While Kantoma, who is also the Catholic priest in charge of St. Anthony’s parish in the Jos East LGA, was kidnapped at his church compound in Angware community, the traditional ruler was abducted when the gunmen attacked his palace in Amo district, Bassa Local Government Area of the state.

The two personalities were, however, released a few days later, after a ransom was allegedly paid to the abductors.