Police kill notorious bandit gang leader, members in Abuja

Members of the Special Intervention Squad from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command successfully eliminated three notorious bandits in a wooded area located in the Bwari neighborhood of Abuja. The incident occurred early on the morning of Friday, January 26, around 2 a.m., in a forest connecting Abuja and Kaduna State.

Among the slain bandits was Mai Gemu, also known as Godara, who served as the leader of the gang. This group, led by Godara, had been causing terror in the Federal Capital Territory and nearby states. The news of this accomplishment in Abuja was announced on Friday by Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, during the procession of approximately twenty criminal detainees held for various offenses nationwide.

Adejobi stated, “We have achieved another significant milestone in strengthening the security landscape in the Federal Capital Territory following the recent establishment of the Special Intervention Squad under the command of the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun.”

He continued, “The SIS, in the early hours of Friday, neutralized one of the most wanted kidnap kingpins, Mai Gemu aka Godara, and two other members of his gang in an exchange of gunfire in the Bwari area of Abuja in a forest linking Abuja with Kaduna State.”

The Special Intervention Squad took control of a crucial route in Usafa, Bwari Area Council, which was previously exploited by bandits to transport their victims from Abuja to neighboring states such as Kogi, Kaduna, Niger, and Nasarawa.

The FCT SIS Commander, Commissioner of Police Bennett Igwe, confirmed this development last Saturday, revealing that armed police officers and crime reporters, accompanied by SIS agents, raided the steep and forested areas of the Ushafa community to apprehend robbers.

Increasing concerns among citizens and authorities arise due to the alarming rise in insecurity within the FCT. Despite being considered relatively impervious to security issues in the past, the nation’s capital is currently grappling with a surge in criminal activities, particularly kidnappings.

One of the notable incidents in the past seven months was the abduction of twenty-three individuals in the Bwari Area Council on January 2, 2024, which included members of the Ariyo and Al-Kadriyar families.