BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – With deadly incidents of banditry now persisting in some parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a man was on Wednesday shot dead and two policemen are currently nursing injuries sustained from gunshots.
This is as the criminal elements also abducted seven family members in an intensified attacks on Bwari Area Council of the nation’s capital.
According to sources close to the FCT Police Command, a middle-aged man, simply identified as ‘Alhaji’, who led some policemen to foil the kidnapping of the seven family members, was unfortunately shot dead in the process by the bandits.
Emerging reports from competent sources indicated that it is like a reign of terror because the bandits have regrettably continued to enjoy free access invading villages and communities under Bwari Area Council to abduct, maim and in some instances kill innocent residents.
An eyewitness account explained that the latest incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, when the bandits invaded the area popularly called Zuma 1 in Bwari central ward of the Area Council.
It was gathered that with no security personnel in sight to counter their offensive, the bandits strategically positioned themselves to strike after identifying their victims’ house.
The insider source hinted that the victims upon suspecting they were likely a target of attack by the marauding gunmen quickly placed a call to their relation later identified as Alhaji (now deceased).
According to the source; “It was when the man heard strange noise around the front of his house that he immediately alerted his brother, popularly called Alhaji to inform the police of the criminal invasion of the area.
Unfortunately, as Alhaji was leading a team of policemen and other security personnel to confront the attackers in the affected house where they had laid siege, one of the bandits who was lurking at a corner suddenly emerged and shot him dead.
Reports further said this led to an exchange of gunfire between the security personnel and the bandits, with two of the officers sustaining gunshot wounds in the process.
The source disclosed that despite the resistance from the police men, they were unfortunately overwhelmed by the firepower of the bandits who eventually succeeded in whisking away the man and his family members.
It was gathered that the policemen were handicapped because the distance to the victims’ house is quite far to easily call for the required back up to foil the attack.
Information gathered also revealed that about 24 hours earlier, the bandits had in the early hours of Tuesday, January 2, 2024, stormed Barangoni area, still in Bwari central ward. In the attack, they abducted three persons, and injured a vigilante member in the process.
For now, Forefront News learnt that there is palpable fear among the residents who have sent a Save Our Soul message to the Area Council and the FCT authorities to come to their rescue by effectively mobilising all relevant security agencies to address the heightening insecurity in the area.
One of the affected residents, Sunday Moses told Forefront News that; “There is no denying the fact that Bwari Area Council is currently under siege and the FCT authorities must urgently do something about it to secure lives and property in the affected communities.
“We cannot continue in this manner where our lives are being threatened on a daily basis. The government, through the relevant security agencies, must rein in these criminal elements who are now moving freely and unchecked across our various communities to kill our people while abducting others for ransom payment”.
As of the time of filling this report, the FCT Police Command, through its Spokesperson, SP Adeh Josephine, was yet to issue an official statement on the incident and spate of attacks recorded in the affected Area Council.
