KIDNAPPERS have reportedly stormed the Dnako community in the Bwari Area Council, Abuja, and abducted the village head, Yuda Garba, two of his grandchildren, and five other residents.
The incident, which occurred around 12:03 am on Wednesday, sent shock waves through the community, highlighting growing concerns about insecurity in the area.
According to Daily Trust, a resident, Tanko Baba, who confirmed the incident, said the kidnappers invaded the community, wielding AK-47 rifles, and abducted five people from four houses before proceeding to the home of the village head and abducting him and two of his grandchildren.
He said the gunmen, dressed in military uniforms, stormed the village head’s residence, burst into the rooms where his grandchildren slept and abducted them while shooting sporadically.
Baba added that one of the victims, Nicholas, had just returned from the hospital where his wife had given birth before he was abducted by the kidnappers.
He said the kidnappers managed to escape with their captives before soldiers arrived at the village.
Eyewitnesses revealed that the kidnappers operated undetected for approximately 30 minutes, only opening fire as they fled with the victims to deter any would-be pursuers, particularly security forces.
In a chat with The ICIR on Wednesday, the spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh, a superintendent of police, promised to confirm the incident and get back to this organisation, but had yet to do so when when filing this report.
Abuja, especially the Bwari area, has been the hotbed of terrorists attacks.
In January 2025, The ICIR reported that bandits attacked the Chikakore community in Kubwa, Abuja, and abducted five residents.
The bandits raided the Health Center extension area of the community around 11 pm, abducting a family of four, including one Adesiyan Akinropo, his wife, son, and a person who visited them. A neighbour to the abducted family was also whisked away.
Reports indicated that a woman was brutally hit with a gun butt during the attack, leading to a severe head injury that left her bleeding profusely, and she had to be rushed to the hospital for treatment.
By the time police operatives from the Byzahin Division arrived at the scene, the bandits had vanished with their hostages.
The FCT Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement through its spokesperson, Adeh.
Similarly, in January 2024, the abduction of five young Nigerian sisters in Bwari sparked a national outcry and raised fears about insecurity in the country’s capital.
According to a family member, the sisters were kidnapped by armed men who burst into their home.
The attackers later killed one of the sisters, 21-year-old Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, after they failed to meet the ransom deadline.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance