Motorists missing after mass Nigeria abduction

Police in Nigeria’s north-west state of Kaduna say an unknown number of people have been kidnapped and one person shot dead by suspected armed gangs along a highway linking the state to the capital Abuja.

The Sunday afternoon incident has triggered tension in the country’s capital and neighbouring states.

Videos emerged on social media showing several empty vehicles stranded on the highway – it is feared their occupants were kidnapped.

Kaduna state police spokesman Mohammed Jalige told the BBC that security forces have been deployed to the location after a team of government officials visited the scene of the attack on Monday.

The police declined to give the figure of those kidnapped.

But eyewitnesses said at least 40 people were kidnapped, and five others killed near Katari village.