( CNN ) -- Hours after Libya 's former interior minister said he resigned to support anti-government protesters , the Libyan government said he had been kidnapped . Abdul Fattah Younis al Abidi told CNN Wednesday that he resigned Monday after hearing that 300 unarmed civilians had been killed in Benghazi , Libya 's second-largest city . He accused Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi of planning to attack civilians on a wide scale . But the same day , Libyan state media reported that `` gangs '' in Benghazi had kidnapped him . Witnesses have reported that Benghazi has essentially been taken over by the opposition . Witnesses also told CNN they saw Younis on Sunday and Monday in Benghazi , where he was siding with the protesters . CNN could not immediately confirm reports for areas beyond Benghazi . The Libyan government maintains tight control on communications and has not responded to repeated requests from CNN for access to the country . CNN has interviewed numerous witnesses by phone . Libyan state television added that Libyan forces have warned those responsible for the kidnapping that they `` will be chased in their hiding places . '' Earlier Wednesday , al Abidi said he had quit the government and is supporting the protesters , who he predicted will achieve victory in `` days or hours . '' `` Gadhafi told me he was planning on using airplanes against the people in Benghazi , and I told him that he will have thousands of people killed if he does that , '' al Abidi said in an Arabic-language telephone interview Wednesday . He called Gadhafi `` a stubborn man '' who will not give up . `` He will either commit suicide or he will get killed , '' said al Abidi , who said he has known him since 1964 . Al Abidi called on Libyan security forces `` to join the people in the intifada . '' Already , he said , `` many members '' of the security forces had defected , including those in the capital , Tripoli . Since the recent protests in Libya started February 15 , a growing number of Libyan officials have reportedly resigned . Libya 's ambassador to Bangladesh , A.H. Elimam , resigned to side with pro-democracy protesters , said BSS , the official news agency of Bangladesh , citing a Foreign Ministry official Tuesday . iReport : Are you there ? share photos , video . Justice Minister Mustafa Abdul Jalil also resigned , saying he was protesting the `` bloody situation '' and `` use of excessive force '' against unarmed protesters , according to the Libyan newspaper Quryna . CNN 's Waffa Munayyer contributed to this report .
Libyan state TV reports `` gangs '' in al Abidi kidnapped al Abidi Younis al Abidi . Earlier Wednesday , Benghazi said he quit the government and supports protesters . He predicted protesters will achieve victory in Wednesday