Katsina — Following the abduction of Mr. Francis Colump, one of the French engineers handling the on-going 10mw wind propelled power project in Rimi local government area, Katsina state, in December, works at the site have been stopped. The project was said to be nearing completion when the incident occurred, Daily Trust gathered.

Colump, a staff of Vergnet Wind Energy Company, a French firm which specialises in renewable solar energy, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Rimi town on December 20.

Armed with sophisticated guns, the abductors stormed the residence of Colump, located in the heart of Rimi at about 11am and seized him. During the operation that lasted only few minutes, the gunmen also killed two persons at the residence and injured a mobile police attached to the French engineer. They finally attacked a Police divisional office on their way out of the town.

Site manager of the project, Mr. J C Jallon, had in an interview with Daily Trust before the abduction of Mr. Colump said three engineers were being expected in Nigeria from France to inspect the facilities before commissioning.

According to Jallon, the engineers were delayed by Nigerian authorities, who did not issue them with visa. He said all major works had been completed at the site but the project could not be commissioned until engineers check the facilities and give the go ahead for the commissioning.

Daily Trust learnt that Mr Colump was among four French engineers that travelled to France for break last year. But our correspondent gathered that he was the only one among them who returned to Nigeria in December last, and few days after, he was kidnapped. The remaining engineers, Daily Trust learnt, have refused to return.

When Daily Trust visited the project site recently, it discovered that only the local security guards were at the site. Even the Nigerian consultants have vacated the site. Upon inquiry, our correspondent was told that the foreign expatriates did not return to Nigeria since Colump's abduction.

Further observation showed that there was no sign of work going on work at the site. All offices were under lock and key. Although most of the turbines had been assembled, it was learnt that some vandals have removed cables worth millions of naira from some of them. Daily Trust observed that 13 of the 37 assembled and tested turbines had been in one way or the other been vandalised.