Heavily armed gunmen launched a terrifying attack on Peze community in the Byazhi area of Kubwa, Bwari Area Council, within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja
According to reports by Sahara Reporters, at least 16 residents were kidnapped during the assault, including the wife of a local vigilante commander, her younger sister, and four children of a pastor.
The attack occurred on Tuesday night between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., with the gunmen moving house to house, attempting to force entry. A resident told Sahara Reporters that the assailants had initially gathered in an uncompleted building opposite his home before starting the raid.
“They actually came to my house on Tuesday. One of my neighbours was watching them from the window. They had gathered in an uncompleted building opposite my house, so they didn’t know someone was observing them. They started banging on my door and moving around the house, shouting to see if anyone would react. The way they operate is that once you respond, they break the window to gain entry,” he said.
The attackers reportedly threatened to kill anyone who refused to open their doors. “They will tell you that if you don’t open the door, they will break in through the window and kill everyone inside,” the resident added.
When they could not gain access to his house, the gunmen moved to other homes, abducting 16 people in total. Among the victims were four children of a pastor, who was away at the time.
“When I later went to the pastor’s house, he told me he had stepped out briefly. Before he could return, people started informing him that kidnappers were operating in the area. When he rushed back home, he discovered that four of his children had been taken, leaving only the youngest child behind,” the source explained.
The family of a local vigilante commander was also targeted. The commander had just left his house around 10 p.m. when a neighbour alerted him that armed men had entered the area. Unaware that his own home was surrounded, he rushed to the scene mentioned by the neighbour, only to be blocked on the road and fired upon by the attackers.
The gunmen stormed his house, abducting his wife and her younger sister, who had been visiting for three days. The woman had given birth less than 40 days earlier, and the kidnappers left the newborn behind. “They even ate the food she had been cooking before abducting her,” the resident added.
Security operatives arrived at the scene afterward, but the kidnappers had already fled with their victims. The abductors later contacted the families to demand ransom for their release.
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