Armed men kidnapped 28 people travelling to an annual Islamic event in Nigeria’s central Plateau state, police confirmed to the BBC.
The victims, including women and children, were ambushed on Sunday night while their bus was moving between villages.
Police spokesperson Alabo Alfred said the authorities had "deployed assets" to the affected area to ensure that those abducted were rescued.
Families receive ransom demands
A journalist based in Plateau state reported that families of the victims had already begun receiving ransom demands. The police have not disclosed the identity of the possible perpetrators.
Kidnapping for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, has become increasingly common across northern and central Nigeria. Although handing over cash to secure the release of hostages is illegal, it is widely believed that many cases are resolved this way, providing gangs with a source of income.
The abduction in Plateau state came just a day after Nigerian authorities announced the release of 130 schoolchildren and teachers who had been kidnapped last month from a Catholic boarding school in Niger state.
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