No fewer than 9 residents have been kidnapped by bandits at the Grow Homes Estate along Kuchibiyi in the Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The bandits numbering about 20 were said to have stormed the estate around 11:30pm on Friday.
A resident of the community who identified himself simply as Hassan said that the victims were captured from two separate apartments in the estate.
He added that the incident caused panic in the community.
He said, “Yesterday, (Friday), about 11:30pm, some gunmen in their large numbers came to carry out an operation at Grow Homes Estate along Kuchibiyi. We heard sounds of gunshots and there was panic in the entire community.
“This morning, we went to the estate and learnt that those gunmen were about 20. They moved from one apartment to another, dispossessing residents of their belongings. They also kidnapped at least 9, including children and women from two apartments in the estate.
“They escaped through the bush that links the community to Paze village. The police and the estate security have been searching the bush since morning to see if they could rescue the kidnapped residents.”
When contacted, the spokesperson of the police in Abuja, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident, saying the police and the estate security were combing the bushes in the area to rescue the victims.
Adeh said, “Upon receipt of the distress call we immediately deployed our men to the scene. The suspects, however, abruptly suspended their operations and took some victims with them into the bush.
“Operatives of the police and the estate security are still combing the bushes in the area to ensure they are rescued.”
She urged residents of the area not to panic but to help the police with credible information that could lead to the arrest of the assailants.
“We urge the residents to remain calm and assist with useful information that could lead to the arrest of these criminals,” Adeh added.
First published in The PUNCH
