Unknown armed bandits, suspected to be kidnappers, on Friday, shot a yet-to-be-identified tricycle operator in the head in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia.

The incident happened around 7 am at Park Road/George’s Street, Aba.

SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, the spokesman of the police command in the state, confirmed the incident in an interview with NAN.

Ogbonna, however, said that the information available to him showed that the victim was rushed to a hospital after the shooting “contrary to the rumour that he died and was moved to a mortuary.”

An eyewitness account said that the victim was shot because he allegedly foiled an attempt by the gunmen from forcefully seizing a woman from his tricycle.

The eyewitness further said that the hoodlums were on the trail of the lady because they suspected that she had a substantial amount of money on her.

It was learnt that the hoodlums shot the tricycle operator after the lady’s lucky escape.

The eyewitness said: “Everything happened so sudden. I was strolling to buy soap and suddenly I saw some young men inside a tricycle chasing another tricycle that sped past me.

“When I turned, I saw that the first tricycle was trying to run over a crossroad and suddenly a girl ran out of it and escaped.

“And all of a sudden, I heard a gunshot, which made everybody to scamper to safety.

“When I got closer to the spot, I saw the tricycle operator lying facedown on his tricycle. They shot him in the head.”

Ogbonna said that the command had commenced investigation into the incident and gave the assurance that the hoodlums would be fished out.