Several unknown gunmen are now asking for a ransom after at least nine people were kidnapped on Monday evening in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

They abducted the victims from an area on the outskirts of the city. Reports say the victims include a 12-year old boy.

Eyewitnesses say the gunmen were dressed in military uniform and turned up in large numbers.

They laid an ambush along a main road and fired shots at moving vehicles, forcing them to stop.

The vehicles’ occupants were then shepherded at gunpoint into the bush.

A relative of one of the victims told the BBC that the kidnappers are now demanding a ransom of about $30,000 (£25,000).

The police in Abuja say they are making a concerted effort to rescue the abductees.

Kidnapping for ransom has become common in recent years.

It is a major security concern in northern Nigeria in particular. However, this is the first time a mass abduction has happened in close to the capital.