Singer Franco Lokunyumi during Eye Radio talkshow. (Photo: File).

Gunmen kidnapped and briefly held four people including singer Franco Lokunyumi over the weekend, as they were leaving a pub after a night show.

The singer, his manager, another artist named AKJ, and their two friends were coming out of a show when unidentified armed men pulled up and forced them inside their car.

The five bandits, four of whom were armed were driving a number less Harrier car.

According to Franco, they were forced into the boot of the car and driven for four hours to an unknown location, before being released.

“They came and parked in front of our car. When the driver tried to get to the other side, they jumped out and cocked their guns,” said Lokunyumi.

“So, we were all at gunpoint and it was hard for us to run or do anything. We couldn’t even shout or scream, so we surrendered to them.”

“So, from there, they open the boot of their harrier, they told AKj to enter, then he entered, then next is the lady.  She also entered and they told me to enter, I also entered. And they took the guy who was driving us and laid him down between the seats of the harrier.”

There have been reports of similar, indiscriminate kidnappings by mysterious criminals driving mini- passenger buses or suspicious security vehicles in the streets of Juba City.

In April this year, 22-year-old Evans Peter and two other friends were happily chatting as they returned home from watching a football match when they were kidnapped in broad daylight by men on a Toyota land cruiser between the national parliament and Dr. John Garang Mausoleum.