Terrorists renewed their onslaught on Bwari Area Council in the early hours of Sunday, kidnapping over four persons and killing another in the Guto area of Bwari, located in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
The attack began around 12:30 am at the fringes of Guto and Piyawe communities, extending into Tudun-Fulani and Sabon Gari areas within the Bwari Area Council headquarters.
Residents reported that two separate groups, with over 30 kidnappers, invaded the area council, firing shots sporadically and forcibly entering people’s homes.
Eyewitnesses claimed that the attackers entered Piwaye through the swamps, proceeding to Guto and Piyawe, where they kidnapped a man and killed a woman in her mid-forties.
The deceased, identified only as Madam Alice, was visiting her sick mother who resides with her brother in Bwari, where she tragically met her end.
In Guto, two individuals were abducted from their homes, while another was kidnapped from Tudun-Fulani, less than a kilometer from the council secretariat.
A resident, speaking anonymously, lamented the lack of response from security agencies despite the attack lasting from 12:30 am to 2:30 am.
“What happened last night was very unfortunate. We couldn’t sleep from 12:30 am when it started until almost three o’clock. Initially, we thought it was vigilantes shooting, but when it persisted, we knew these people had returned,” the resident said.
“We’ve had peace for some time, but unfortunately, they’ve returned with full force. Two groups entered Bwari last night, one in Guto and the other in Piyawe. It was clear they came prepared, as the sounds we heard suggested they were armed with sophisticated weapons.”
Another Tudun-Fulani resident, requesting anonymity, alleged that despite frantic calls to the Bwari divisional headquarters, the police failed to respond.
“We felt so helpless because the kidnappers operated for over an hour without any police or army challenge. I called my neighbor when the shooting began, and he had already called the police. We waited for 20 minutes without hearing sirens. When we called again, they kept saying they were on their way. We never saw them until the kidnappers left on their own.”
Bwari Area Council had earlier faced bandit and kidnapper attacks earlier in the year, resulting in abductions for ransom.
Earlier incidents included the kidnapping and subsequent killing of Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, a 400-level student of ABU Zaria, and 13-year-old Folashade Ariyo in separate attacks in Bwari and Dutse-Alhaji.
Efforts to reach the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, for comment were unsuccessful, as she did not respond to messages or calls.
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