Bandits Kidnap 20 in Abuja Nighttime Raid

Around 20 residents of Dawaki, a community near Kubwa in the Federal Capital Territory, were kidnapped during a night raid by armed bandits. The attackers targeted houses on Frank Opara Street before security operatives responded to distress calls.

Tunde Abdulrahim, Chairman of the Dawaki Rock Heaven Community, reported that the incident occurred around 7:30 PM on Sunday. He stated that approximately 50 armed men invaded the community, breaking into about six houses.

Commenting on the attack, the FCT police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said in a statement on Monday that the Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, led policemen to the scene and engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle.

“In an immediate and strategic response to a distress call on the attack by unknown gunmen in Dawaki on May 19, 2024, at about 11:30 PM, the operatives of the FCT Police Command, led by the Commissioner of Police, CP Igweh, himself, swiftly mobilized to the scene,” Adeh said.

“Displaying remarkable bravery and coordination, the police, in synergy with local hunters, advanced on the assailants, tactically ambushing them at Ushafa Hill via Bwari and Shishipe Hills via Mpape. This led to a fierce gun duel, as the hoodlums were overwhelmed by the firepower of the operatives, forcing them to scamper to safety with various degrees of bullet injuries, and the victims were rescued,” the statement continued.

While one of the rescued victims is still in the hospital receiving medical attention, the Commissioner of Police, FCT, reaffirmed the command’s steadfast dedication to maintaining peace and security in the territory. Search operations are ongoing to rescue other hostages who fled the scene during the shootout.

Previously, in the early hours of Sunday, bandits had abducted five people from Shagari Quarters, Dei-Dei, in the FCT. Vigilante sources in the community confirmed that the attackers arrived around noon, targeting the compound of a senior customs officer, abducting his wife, three children, and a younger brother.

An attempt by the bandits to attack additional houses in Dakwa town was thwarted following a fierce exchange of gunfire with security personnel, forcing the attackers to withdraw. The Chief of Dakwa, Dr. Alhassan Musa Babachukuri, noted that the bandits have established a base behind Zuma Rock in the Chachi community near Dakawa in neighboring Niger State, leading to some forests around Bwari.