Many abducted as unknown gunmen attack Bwari in Abuja

Suspected kidnappers on Wednesday targeted several communities in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), abducting an undisclosed number of residents. The assault reportedly expanded to Zuma in neighbouring Niger State.

Sources indicate that the assailants brazenly attacked residents, marking another wave of insecurity just days after a series of assaults on Garam in Niger State, a community sharing a boundary with Bwari in the FCT. During the confrontation with the bandits, two police officers sustained severe injuries.

The operation, lasting several hours, saw the kidnappers successfully abducting residents. Concerns have been raised about the apparent lack of effective measures by the FCT police authorities to address the escalating insecurity in the area, especially considering its proximity to the Federal Capital Territory.

Earlier incidents, including invasions in Garam, Kuduru, and Azu communities a few days before Christmas, witnessed indiscriminate gunfire by gunmen, resulting in the abduction of three individuals without any significant resistance from security agents, despite the presence of a police post.

As a consequence of the frequent attacks, residents in Bwari and neighbouring border communities have reportedly started fleeing their homes. The FCT Police Command is yet to confirm or deny the latest attack, and attempts to reach the spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, have been unsuccessful.