Armed men abducted an engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) in Jolo, Sulu Wednesday morning.

Joint Task Force Sulu commander Brigadier General Cirilito Sobejana said the abductors barged into the house of engineer Enrico Nee in Sitio Kasalamatan and took the victim at gunpoint.

The abductors used a red Toyota Tamaraw as their getaway vehicle and headed towards the village of Anuling in Patikul town.

Authorities immediately implemented a security lock-down in Jolo to prevent the abductors from getting out of the town.

Soldiers later found the abandoned getaway vehicle in one of the adjacent areas where Nee was abducted. The abductors and Nee were nowhere to be found.

The military and police have also established chokepoints in key areas of Jolo in a bid to rescue the abducted government engineer.

Sobejana reminded residents of Jolo to stay vigilant and report immediately to the authorities once they notice suspicious persons and vehicles roaming around their vicinity.

The military said Abu Sayyaf bandits might be behind the recent abduction.