Suspected gunmen kidnap 23 in eastern Nigeria, police say

Protesters hold signs during a march in support of the girls kidnapped by members of Boko Haram in front of the Nigerian Embassy in Washington May 6, 2014. [Xinhua]

Nigerian police said on Tuesday that at least 23 people, including a district chief, were kidnapped by suspected gunmen who attacked a local community in the country's eastern state of Taraba in the early hours of the day.

Usman Abdullahi, the spokesperson for the police in Taraba, told reporters in the state capital of Jalingo that authorities have quickly deployed anti-kidnapping personnel to the Pupule community in the Yoro local government area following the "sad incident."