In a shocking escalation of violence in the Federal Capital Territory, armed bandits on Wednesday night abducted six teenage girls and a 16-year-old boy from Gidan-Bijimi, a settlement in Kawu ward, Bwari Area Council. The raid comes barely a week after a police officer was killed in a separate attack in the neighboring community of Guto.
According to reports, assailants, armed with AK-47 rifles, stormed two homes around 9:47 pm, firing into the air before fleeing with their victims. Kawu, which borders Kaduna State, lies near the Gidan Dogo and Kweti forests, long-known hideouts and transit routes for criminal gangs along the FCT–Kaduna corridor. Gidan-Bijimi is also close to Marke village, a hotspot of increasing criminal activity in recent months.
The abduction has intensified concerns over the worsening security situation in Bwari Area Council, prompting renewed calls for stronger protection across communities bordering Kaduna and Niger states.
In response, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) announced enhanced security measures following an expanded meeting of the FCT Security Council, chaired by Minister Nyesom Wike.
FCT Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, said Operation Sweep, a multi-agency security initiative, had been fully activated to tackle emerging threats. The operation now covers Gwagwalada, Bwari, and two corridors stretching from Berger and Wuse through Karu, Mararaba, Karshi, and Orozo.
Dantawaye added that the minister has provided “adequate logistics” for joint deployment of personnel from the police, military, DSS, NSCDC, FRSC, Immigration Service, Correctional Service, and other agencies.
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