A residential community near the Quarry area along Arab Road in Kubwa, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was thrown into panic after suspected kidnappers stormed the area late Saturday night, abducting one resident and fatally shooting another during the attack.
The incident reportedly occurred between 11:00 p.m. on Saturday and midnight on Sunday, leaving residents shaken and renewing concerns over insecurity in parts of the nation’s capital.
Residents said the attackers invaded the community under the cover of darkness, allegedly accessing the area through a nearby hill before launching the operation.
Speaking with journalists on Monday, the secretary of the community, identified simply as Dairo, explained that residents first became aware of the invasion after hearing multiple gunshots echoing through the neighborhood.
According to him, local security personnel immediately responded and attempted to confront the armed assailants in a gun battle to prevent them from advancing further into the community.
“We started hearing gunshots, and the house is towards the hill. From what I was told, because my house is not too far, the local security tried to repel them in a gun battle,” he said.
Despite the efforts of the local security team, Dairo disclosed that the attackers succeeded in gaining access to the targeted residence.
He explained that the gunmen entered the apartment, shot one of the occupants, and forcefully took away his younger brother before fleeing the scene.
“While they were doing that, they were able to enter the guy’s apartment. They shot him and took his younger brother away,” the community secretary stated.
Dairo added that security operatives from the police arrived at the scene shortly after the attack, but by then the kidnappers had already escaped with the abducted victim.
“Not too long. I think the police came around past 12 to 1. Before the police could come around, they had gone with the guy. They came in through the hill and went back through the hill,” he said.
Residents later revealed that the individual who sustained gunshot wounds during the attack was rushed to a hospital for treatment but unfortunately did not survive.
Confirming the development, another resident who requested anonymity said the victim died on Sunday despite efforts to save his life.
“The boy is dead; he didn’t make it. May his soul rest in peace. The one taken to the hospital by the police,” the resident said.
Dairo described the latest incident as part of a troubling pattern of attacks on the community, noting that it was the third successful kidnapping operation carried out in the area in recent years.
“This is the third time kidnappers have come to the community through the hill,” he said.
He recalled a similar incident that occurred around 2021 or 2022 when suspected kidnappers abducted a member of the National Youth Service Corps and reportedly killed a resident identified as Mr. Oshodi during the operation.
According to him, another resident was kidnapped in May last year and was only released after a ransom was allegedly paid to secure freedom.
The community leader further disclosed that suspected kidnappers attempted to invade the area only a few weeks ago but were successfully repelled by local security operatives.
“Two, three weeks ago, they came, but they could not enter because of the local security presence before they came on Saturday,” he said.
To combat the growing security threats, Dairo explained that residents had established a local security arrangement involving vigilantes and hunters who regularly patrol the area and assist in protecting lives and property.
“We were able to set up our local security men, the vigilantes and the hunters. They are the ones guiding the community,” he added.
He appealed to the government and relevant security agencies to strengthen security presence in the area by establishing a police station or increasing routine patrols to deter criminal elements.
“If the government can come and set up a police station or a patrol, they’ll be moving around every day. Once they see the presence of security personnel around, I think that will scare them away,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain an official reaction from the FCT Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls placed to the phone number of the command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, could not be completed as the line was reportedly unreachable.
The latest attack adds to growing concerns over recurring incidents of kidnapping and violent crime within and around the Federal Capital Territory, prompting renewed calls for stronger security measures to protect residents.
