However, the troops from the 134 special forces battalion led by the commanding officer were mobilised to the scene, but the bandits had fled the area.
Two Nigerian Army personnel, Bello Abubakar and Oyediran Adedotun, have been abducted by bandits on Maiduguri-Damaturu highway, in the Goni Masari area of Borno.
The soldiers were kidnapped while travelling to Kano, in a civilian vehicle around 5:07 pm on Saturday, according to a wireless message sent by 29 Task Force Brigade and seen by PeoplesGazette.
It was learnt that the passengers in the vehicle that observed the driver’s suspicious behaviour and his familiarity with the bandits alerted the army base in Mainok.
However, the troops from the 134 special forces battalion led by the commanding officer were mobilised to the scene, but the bandits had fled the area.
“The soldiers were on pass when the incident occurred. Liaison with Sect 2 MIB revealed that a SAR operation is being conducted while the driver of the bus in which the soldiers were travelling is suspected to be a prime suspect in the incident due to some indicators. He has been arrested by troops and is undergoing investigation,” the army document stated.
The troops that dominated the Mada/Matari area with no further contact, also arrested the driver and seized the vehicle immediately.
The army has been unable to know the whereabouts of the soldiers and other passengers, while one Mr Abubakar’s identity card and wallet were found in the vehicle.