Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Two Chinese nationals working at a BUA-linked road construction site in Kwara State have been abducted after armed men stormed the project location, forcing workers to flee as the attackers seized the victims and disappeared into surrounding forest paths. The incident has heightened concerns over renewed insecurity along construction corridors in parts of the North Central region.
Witnesses at the scene said the gunmen arrived unexpectedly and headed straight for the section where expatriate engineers were supervising operations. Amid sporadic gunfire, the attackers overpowered local security guards and seized the two Chinese workers before escaping. The identities of the victims have not yet been released.
Authorities in Kwara have launched a coordinated search-and-rescue effort involving the police, community vigilante teams, and other security agencies. Early intelligence suggests the abductors may have retreated toward forest routes commonly used by criminal groups for concealment and movement across state boundaries.
Local residents say the attack has deepened anxiety among communities near major construction projects, where workers have faced repeated threats from kidnappers seeking ransom. In recent months, the region has recorded a troubling pattern of similar incidents, including the kidnapping of construction staff in neighboring Kogi State and the abduction of surveyors working along the Kwara–Ekiti border corridor. These cases indicate a growing trend of targeting road and infrastructure personnel, seen by criminal gangs as high-value hostages.
Stone Reporters observes that such attacks align with a wider pattern documented across parts of Nigeria where engineering staff, expatriates, and project supervisors increasingly face security risks. Similar incidents over the past three months include the abduction of railway engineers in Niger State and an attack on a dam construction team in Plateau. Security analysts warn that the persistent targeting of technical workers threatens to stall critical infrastructure development, inflate project costs, and deter foreign partnerships.
From a professional standpoint, the abduction underscores the urgent need for strengthened security protocols around major construction sites, especially those in remote or forest-linked areas. Experts have consistently called for multi-layered protection—combining mobile patrols, rapid-response teams, surveillance systems, and stronger collaboration with local communities who often serve as early warning sources.
As security operations intensify, authorities are assuring the public that efforts to track the abductors and safely rescue the victims are ongoing. Meanwhile, the incident has renewed national discussions about the safety of foreign workers, the vulnerabilities of strategic infrastructure sites, and the pressing need for a coordinated counter-kidnapping framework that can curtail the reach and mobility of armed groups.
The situation remains under close watch as search teams push deeper into forest zones in hopes of securing the victims’ release and re-establishing confidence in the region’s security environment.
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