Two Chinese nationals working on a major road construction project in Kwara State have been abducted by gunmen, authorities confirmed on Friday.

The incident occurred on Monday at the Bode Saadu–Kaiama–Kosubosu road project site in Ejidongari, Moro Local Government Area. Witnesses said the attackers, masked and heavily armed, stormed the area and fired multiple rounds into the air, sending workers scrambling for safety before seizing the expatriates.

Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, who confirmed the abduction disclosed that the victims were taken from the project site.

“It is true that they were abducted from the construction site; That’s all for now,” he said, declining to provide further details on rescue efforts.

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Kwara has been dealing with a worrying spike in violent attacks, including kidnappings and bandit incursions across several local government areas. The kidnapping of the Chinese workers adds to the rising insecurity that has unsettled rural communities and slowed economic activity in parts of the state.

The abduction comes less than two weeks after gunmen attacked a Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA, shooting at worshippers and whisking away 38 people, all of whom have since regained their freedom.

In response to the growing threats, the presidency on November 25 ordered a comprehensive security clampdown across forest belts in Kwara, directing 24-hour aerial surveillance by Nigerian Air Force (NAF) jets and reinforced ground troops to flush out criminal groups.