The incidents are allegedly carried out by men pretending to be public vehicle drivers.

According to testimonies from survivors and their families, the kidnappers drive tinted cars along the streets looking for a potential hostage.

The taxis often carry a few men who pretend to be passengers, leaving only two seats vacant.

Last week, a teenage boy was kidnapped along Custom-Malakia Road and was found unconscious six hours later in a suburb near Nesitu.

According to his uncle, Francis Mading, the boy was tracked down by the police through MTN tele-communication Company.

He says the boy is now receiving treatment at Juba Teaching Hospital after the kidnappers reportedly drained blood from his body.

“The one who was abducted is my nephew and it was on Monday. He wanted to go to customs and he stood alongside the road waiting for any public transport to take him to customs. A vehicle came, they allowed him to get into the car. They made him sit in the middle, two people were in front. One was the driver and the one was sitting and the two were behind with him,” Francis told Eye Radio.

“When they reached customs, he told them this is my place, I need to alight here, they kept quiet and the speed increased. Then he called the sister and he said I have arrived at customs but the vehicle that I’m using refused to stop so now we are heading towards Jebel.

“The sister instructed him and said get hold of the driver. He wanted to grab the driver from the back when the two guys who were sitting behind him saw what he wanted to do, they grabbed him, and they took the phone from him. They switched it off and then now they started beating him.”

Also the same week, a similar incident took place in which a 22-year-old girl, Nyajuoy Gatluony was kidnapped along Juba-Nabari Road.

The young woman was going to Juba town when the dubious taxi pulled up before her.

“I was going to Juba and at the roadside, I stopped a Noah, they filled the other seats and pretended like passengers. They left only two seats empty. I got inside and those people are brown but the driver was South Sudanese,” the survivor told Eye Radio.

“I was in front and tried to look back. This guy came near me, I asked him if he wanted to go down, he said no.  We went until we reached Juba town. From there, they turned and I told them I wanted to go down, the driver said he was going back to Munuki because there was a jam.

“The car turned and the driver drove us very far until we reached a petrol station. Then the guy told me you open the door from outside but all the door handles for opening were not there, they removed it but he insisted I try opening it.

“They push me down and I lose balance. I tried to support myself, then they grab my handbag with $500, my phone and ATM card.”

Several calls to seek comment from the Deputy Police spokesperson, James Dak went unanswered.