Residents of Paze community of Kubwa in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are counting their losses following a brutal, pre-dawn assault on Thursday by an eight-man kidnapping syndicate.
According to security sources, the terror unfolded as the assailants violently breached the Byazhin district in the early hours of the day, resulting in the brutal murder of a local guard and the kidnapping of four innocent locals, which included a pastor.
It was gathered that the gunmen’s primary target in the gunfire exchange was Shuaibu Yerima, a local security guard employed to safeguard the “Back of Catholic Church” area. Yerima was brutally shot and killed by the gang, cementing a horrifying night of violence that has forced the Abuja community into a state of panic.
Among those reportedly abducted by the criminal elements are Pastor Francis Oriade of the All Christian Fellowship Mission (ACFM), Maitama, Abuja; Jewel Obeh; Friday Isaac; and an 11-year-old boy, Delight Okeke.
In a week defined by ruthless escalation of violence, the latest attack is coming just days after bandits raided nearby Kungabokun community last Sunday, abducted a resident and left the community trapped in a relentless cycle of fear.
Recounting happenings during the unfortunate incident, a younger brother of one of the abducted victims, Emmanuel Isaac, said he first noticed the attackers’ arrival shortly after midnight following a gunshot believed to have killed the security guard.
Claiming that he said froze as the midnight silence was shattered by the fatal gunshot, Emmanuel told some reporters: “We then saw them coming into our premises, with about four of them bearing guns.
“Another member of the gang that seemed to be leading them was wearing a mask on his face. We attempted to escape through a back door, only to be rounded up and asked to move back inside the house.
“They tied my hands and that of my elder brother before directing me to go with them. But my brother pleaded with them to rather go with him, which they agreed to.”
According to Isaac, who recently moved into a newly built house that is yet to be fully furnished, “About 10 minutes after they left, policemen arrived in the neighbourhood with an armoured van and a Sienna car.”l
“We pleaded with the police to trail the kidnappers, pointing toward the direction they went but they said no, that they preferred to go through a different direction.”
Also in her narration, Elizabeth Oriade, younger sister of the abducted pastor, said the gunmen gained access into their home through a window after failing to force open the door.
“We noticed their presence following some gun shooting around 12am, and they invaded our homes about 20 minutes later.
“They traced us to the toilet, dragged the pastor from his room, while slapping him in the process as, according to them, he made them suffer much for not opening his room’s door immediately.
“They tore one of our wrappers and tied our hands with it, seized our mobile phones, and also took some cash before taking him away.”
On her part, Mrs Joy Alex, whose husband, Jewel Obeh, was among those abducted, said she had spent about an hour searching for the house key on the night of the attack.
“I stayed till about 11pm at the family shop located by the roadside in our neighbourhood, on that fateful night, searching for the house key for more than an hour. I then advised my husband to go and lodge in a hotel before my daughter eventually found the key.
“Just about an hour after returning back home, we noticed the arrival of the gunmen. They pulled out a window attached to the house using tools like a digger.
“Two of them jumped in and directed us to open our door. Initially they wanted to take away my daughter, before they decided to leave with my husband alone.”
Also recounting her ordeal facing the criminal gang, mother of the abducted 11-year-old boy, Erenta Okeke, said the gunmen broke into her home through a window and demanded money while pointing a gun at her head.
“My husband was not around at the time, so they decided to abduct my little son after pleading with them to spare his younger sister, who was shivering throughout the period of the operation.”
Sharing the grim reality of the slain vigilante’s final hours, one of the sources said though he was initially shot in the leg, delay in securing emergency medical evacuation caused his bleeding to death.
The sources further confirmed that mourners gathered to pay their last respects as he was laid to rest following traditional funeral prayers held at the palace of the District Chief in Ijayapi, a settlement nestled within the larger Byazhin community.
Insiders at the Byazhin Police Division disclosed that there is synergy between the locals and law enforcement to address the constant violent breach in the area.
When some journalists visited the Police Division, the officers holding a security briefing with community representatives to map out a response meant to stop the frequency of these brazen attacks.
Reliable sources indicated that security operatives have launched an aggressive manhunt for the suspected kidnappers following the incident with in the perpetrators believed to have fled into the surrounding bushes and hills.
Though the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command is yet to issue an official statement on the incident, available information indicates that members of the public have been urged to remain calm and promptly report suspicious activities or emergencies to the nearest police station or through the command’s emergency lines on 08032003913 and 07057337653. – With additional reports from Daily Trust
