A 16-year-old boy and six young girls have been abducted by armed bandits during a late-night attack on Gidan-Bijimi, a community in Kawu Ward of Bwari Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The incident occurred around 9:47 p.m. on Wednesday when gunmen wielding AK-47 rifles stormed the settlement, which borders Marke village near the Kaduna State boundary. The attackers reportedly invaded two houses and seized the victims amid heavy gunfire.
Suleiman Shuaibu, a resident of Kawu, confirmed the attack, saying the community was thrown into confusion as local vigilantes attempted to respond but were forced to retreat due to the superior firepower of the assailants. He revealed that the abducted girls are aged between 17 and 23.
“It was around 9:53 p.m. when we received a call that bandits had invaded Gidan-Bijimi and taken six young girls. Unfortunately, my cousin was among those kidnapped,” he said.
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The attack prompted some residents to flee the area, and as of the time of this report, no contact has been made with the abductors.
Efforts to reach SP Josephine Adeh, spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
This latest incident comes just two days after FCT Minister Nyesom Wike directed security agencies to intensify surveillance across Abuja’s borders. A joint task force involving the police, DSS, military, and other agencies was recently deployed to tackle rising insecurity.
FCT Commissioner of Police, Miller G. Dantawaye, had earlier urged the team to work collaboratively to eliminate criminal activities, noting that the minister had provided adequate logistics to support their operations.
