Residents of a community near the Quarry area of Arab Road in Kubwa, Abuja, have been thrown into mourning after suspected kidnappers invaded the area, abducted a resident and fatally shot another during a late-night attack.
The incident occurred between 11 p.m. on Saturday and midnight on Sunday, according to residents.
A community leader, identified simply as Dairo, told journalists that residents were alerted to the attack by gunshots as the assailants reportedly entered the area through a nearby hill.
He said local security operatives, including vigilantes and hunters, engaged the attackers in a gun battle in an attempt to prevent them from entering the community.
According to him, despite the resistance, the gunmen succeeded in gaining access to one of the apartments where they shot a resident and abducted his younger brother.
“We started hearing gunshots, and the local security tried to repel them. While they were doing that, the attackers entered the victim’s apartment, shot him and took his younger brother away,” Dairo said.
The injured victim was reportedly rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries on Sunday.
Dairo disclosed that police officers arrived at the scene shortly after the attack, but the kidnappers had already fled through the same route they used to gain access to the community.
He described the incident as the third successful kidnapping operation carried out in the area in recent years.
The community leader recalled that a similar attack around 2021 or 2022 led to the abduction of a corps member and the killing of another resident, while a separate kidnapping incident recorded last year ended after a ransom was allegedly paid.
He further revealed that suspected kidnappers attempted to invade the community a few weeks ago but were repelled by local security personnel.
According to him, residents had established a local security network comprising vigilantes and hunters to protect lives and property due to the recurring security threats.
Dairo appealed to the government and security agencies to establish a police station or increase patrol activities in the area to deter criminal elements.
He expressed optimism that a stronger security presence would help prevent future attacks and reassure residents.
Another resident, who spoke anonymously, confirmed that the victim who sustained gunshot wounds later died in hospital.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the spokesperson of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, were unsuccessful as calls to her phone line did not connect as of the time of filing this report.
