Esther Salifu
Attackers has raided and kidnapped 20 residents of Frank Opara Street , Dawaki, Abuja at 7:30pm on Sunday .
The traditional ruler lamented that the bandits created a base behind Zuma Rock in the Chachi community near Dawaki in neighboring Niger State, which leads to some forests around Bwari.
The Chairman of Dawaki Rock Heaven Community, Tunde Abdulrahim revealed that the armed men were about 50 in numbers , and attacked six houses .
The FCT police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said in a statement on Monday that the Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, led policemen to the scene and engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle.
The statement read, “In an immediate and strategic response to a distress call on the attack by unknown gunmen in Dawaki on May 19, 2024, at about 11.30pm, the operatives of the FCT Police Command, led by the Commissioner of Police, CP Igweh, himself, swiftly mobilised to the scene.
“Displaying remarkable bravery and coordination, the police, in synergy with local hunters, advanced on the assailants, tactically ambushing them at Ushafa Hill via Bwari and Shishipe Hills via Mpape.
This led to a fierce gun duel as the hoodlums were overwhelmed by the firepower of the operatives, forcing them to scamper to safety with various degrees of bullet injuries, and the victims were rescued.
“While one of the rescued victims is still in the hospital receiving medical attention, the Commissioner of Police, FCT, reaffirms the command’s steadfast dedication to maintaining peace and security in the territory, as search operations are ongoing to rescue other hostages who fled the scene during the shootout.”
Vigilante sources in the community confirmed that the attackers arrived in the area around noon and went straight to the compound of a senior customs officer, where they picked up his wife, three of his children, and a younger brother.
“They spent more than two hours before proceeding to the neighbouring Dakwa community. The man used to work in Abuja with the police Rapid Response Squad (RRS), always parking around his house. But they are no longer around following his deployment to Lagos, though his family is still living in the compound,” the source added.
