A 16-year-old boy and six girls have been abducted by armed bandits during a night attack on Gidan-Bijimi in Kawu Ward of Bwari Area Council, Abuja.
Residents confirmed that the community, which borders Kaduna State through Marke village, came under fire shortly before 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
A resident of Kawu, Suleiman Shuaibu, said on Thursday that the attackers stormed the area heavily armed
He said, “The bandits wielding AK-47 rifles raided two houses in the community around 9:47 p.m. and whisked away six young girls, including a 16-year-old boy, amid sporadic shooting.”
Shuaibu added that the community was thrown into chaos as residents fled in fear.
According to him, “Some vigilantes in the community tried to engage the bandits but were forced to run for cover as a result of the superior firepower.”
He said the abducted girls were aged between 17 and 23, adding that one of them is his relative.
“It was around 9:53 p.m. when a call came from Gidan-Bijimi community that some bandits invaded the village and abducted six young girls. Unfortunately, my cousin sister happened to be among the victims,”he said.
Shuaibu further stated that no contact had been established with the abductors as of Thursday morning, while some residents have started fleeing their homes for safety.
Efforts to reach SP Josephine Adeh, spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, were unsuccessful, as she neither answered calls nor responded to messages.
The attack comes barely 48 hours after the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, ordered heightened security across Abuja, with reinforced surveillance at all borders and entry points.
Following the directive, a joint military task force—comprising the police, DSS and other security agencies—was deployed across the capital.
Addressing the operatives, FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, urged them to work seamlessly. He said the minister had also provided adequate logistics to ensure the success of the operation and guarantee residents’ safety.
Authorities are yet to give an official update on the latest abduction.
Boluwatife Enome
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