In an alarming incident, a group of approximately 50 individuals, dressed in military attire, launched a surprise attack on the Dawaki community in Abuja, resulting in the kidnapping of no less than 20 people, as reported by Daily Trust.
Eyewitnesses described the incident as a bold and audacious attack by the assailants, who were referred to by various names including bandits, armed robbers, and terrorists. Dawaki, a densely populated area home to thousands of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) workers, is situated opposite the Gwarinpa Estate, Nigeria’s largest single organized settlement, along the Abuja-Kubwa Expressway.
Information gathered revealed that the attackers, equipped with a variety of weapons, invaded Dawaki around 7:30 pm on Sunday, and their operation lasted until about 8:30 pm. This incident occurred shortly after kidnappers targeted Shagari Quarters in Dei-Dei, located about five kilometers away on the same Abuja-Kubwa Expressway, and kidnapped a Customs officer’s family.
A Dawaki resident, Hosea Christopher, reported that the bandits kidnapped 17 residents from three houses and on the street along Fulani Junction. However, he mentioned that five of the kidnapped individuals managed to escape while being transported towards a mountain on the outskirts of the area.
Christopher further stated that the bandits were confronted by DSS operatives while heading towards a forest around the Usuma Dam. “They immediately retaliated against the security men. Despite the strong counterattack by the DSS operatives, the bandits managed to flee,” he said.
Additional sources suggested that more than 20 people were kidnapped. Abel James, a resident who narrowly escaped the abduction, stated that the attackers “were in uniforms and wore face masks.” He expressed his doubts about their authenticity when they began firing indiscriminately.
The FCT Commissioner of Police (CP), Benneth Igweh, confirmed the incident on Monday. He led the rescue operation on Sunday around Ushafa- Shishipe through the Mpape hills, following a distress call after the attack on some Dawaki residents. “We tactically ambushed the assailants at Ushafa Hill via Bwari down to Shishipe, resulting in a fierce gun battle which forced them to flee with bullet wounds, and we managed to rescue some of the abducted victims,” he said.
During an earlier attack in Dei-Dei on Sunday, the attackers targeted the compound of a senior customs officer, kidnapping his wife, three children, and a younger brother. The officer’s wife, who was heavily pregnant, was later released, but the children and younger brother remained in captivity. The traditional ruler lamented that the bandits have established a base behind the Zuma.
