Fear grips Abuja community as bandits invade, kill 1, kidnap 4

By Stanley Onyekwere

In what seems as renew of onslaught on Bwari Area Council of Abuja, unknown bandits attacked in the wee hours of Sunday, allegedly killing one person, and abducted over four others, thereby causing panic in the area.
It was gathered that the attack which began around 12:30am in the fringes of Guto and Piyawe communities, crept into Tudun-Fulani and Sabon Gari areas, both in the headquarters of Bwari Area Council.
Some residents claim that unknown two separate groups had invaded the area council, with kidnappers numbering over 30, surrounded the communities shooting sporadically, and breaking into people’s homes.
Also, eyewitnesses alleged that the invaders came into the Piwaye, and made their way to Guto and Piyawe where they allegedly kidnapped a man and killed a woman in her mid-forties.
However, the deceased, whose name was simply given as Madam Alice, was said to have only visited her sick mother who stays with brother in Bwari where she unfortunately met her death.
Also, two victims were purportedly abducted from their homes in Guto, while another person was kidnapped from Tudun-Fulani, which is less than a kilometres from the council Secretariat.
According to a resident, who pleaded anonymity, said the attackers operated from 12:30 am to 2:30 am with no response from security agencies.
“We have had peace for sometimes now but unfortunately they have resumed and this time with full force because it was two groups that entered Bwari that yesterday. One were in Guto while the other group was in Piyawe.
“It was obvious those ones came prepared, because the sounds we heard through the night, suggest they came with sophisticated weapon.
“What happened last night was very unfortunate. We couldn’t sleep from 12:30 am when they stated till almost three o’clock. Initially we thought it was vigilantes that were shooting, but when it became persistent, we knew these people are back again”, the resident stated.
Another resident of Tudun-Fulani who also preferred anonymity, decried that the police failed to show up despite frantic calls made to the divisional headquarters in Bwari.
The resident said: “We felt so helpless because for the kidnappers operated for over an hour, but there was no police or army to challenge them. I called my neighbour when the shooting started and he said he had already called the police.
“We waited for them to show up for 20 minutes and when we didn’t hear sounds of sirens, we called again but they keep telling us they were on their way. We never saw them until the kidnappers left on their own.”
Meanwhile, several efforts for reaction from the FCT Police Command Headquarters were unsuccessful, WhatsApp messages and calls to the Commands Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, were not responded to, before filling this report.
Recall Bwari Area Council had remained in the news in the early part of the year, when bandits and kidnappers overran the area council abducting people for ransom. A 400 level student of ABU Zaria, Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar and 13 years old Folashade Ariyo, were both kidnapped in separate attacks in Bwari and Dutse-Alhaji respectively. Both victims were later killed by their abductors following failure to secure their release on time.