Bandits Torment Abuja Residents, Kidnap Civil Servant Near Military Camp
BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – It is certainly not the best of times for residents of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city with the latest incident in the raging spate of insecurity being the abduction of a top civil servant by dare devil bandits.
This is as the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) claimed that a significant breakthrough has been recorded in the abduction and murder case involving the daughter of a Bwari-based lawyer, Nabeeha.
Report said the attack occurred at a house situated 200 metres away from a military base in Pambara, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
According to competent sources, abducted by the criminals during the attack is one Aondo Ver, said to be a director with the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).
Reports indicated that the bandits invaded the house around 12:30 am on Thursday by gaining entrance through the fence.
This latest incident is coming on the heels another recent attack where some hoodlums forcefully gained entrance to a home at Guita community in Chikakore, Kubwa, Bwari Area Council.
In the process, two sisters were kidnapped by the unknown gunmen with residents expressing fears that Abuja and its environs are no longer safe and secured given the alarming increase in the number of recorded abduction and murder cases.
Some of the residents, who spoke to Forefront News on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of current security challenges, said there is palpable fear and panic across the FCT with the criminal elements now prey on children, young people and family members as their targets.
One security insider hinted that most worrisome is how well-planned and coordinated the hoodlums carry out their criminal activities, even at some public places and busy areas, including schools and estates.
Noting that aside from the marauding in the night, the insider said the bandits have become so daring that they also operate in broad daylight not minding the presence of security operatives.
He said most disturbing is the seeming helplessness of the security agencies to effectively contain the criminals, adding; “It is unfortunate the Federal Government now allows the bandits to continue having free reign even in the nation’s capital.”
As the spate of kidnapping activities continue to heighten in the nation’s capital, the corpses of four victims murdered by the bandits have been recovered around a former military checkpoint located at Idah Junction on the Bwari-Jere SCC Road in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
So far, the recovered corpses have been identified as that of Folorunsho Ariyo, a secondary school student and daughter of the Chief Legal Officer (CLO), National University Commission (NUC), as well as the 500-level student of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar.
The bandits abducted Ariyo alongside her mother and three siblings about two Sundays ago, while Nabeeha, with her father and five female siblings, were taken captives on January 9.
Meanwhile, claiming to have made a significant breakthrough in the case involving the abduction and murder of Nabeeha, the Police said one of the suspected mastermind of the kidnapping incident is now in their custody.
A recent statement released by the Police said the suspect, 28-year-old Bello Mohammed was tracked and arrested on 20th January 2024 when security personnel raided a Kaduna-based hotel following intelligence report.
The Police further stated that during the raid, about N2.25 million in cash, suspected to be part of the ransom money, was found in Mohammed’s custody.
However, the Force said investigation is still ongoing with Mohammed having made useful statement concerning the kidnapping incidents in Abuja and other parts of the country, especially in the North West and North Central geo-political zones.
