No fewer than seven teenagers have been abducted by armed men who invaded Gidan-Bijimi, a settlement in Kawu Ward of Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), during a midnight attack.
The gunmen reportedly struck while residents were asleep, waking them with the sound of gunfire before carrying out the abduction.
The victims, who were whisked away to an unknown destination during the attack, which took place on Wednesday night in the community located near Kaduna State, were said to be between 16 and 23 years old.
A community member described the invasion as “a moment of absolute dread,” adding that the teenagers had no chance to escape after the gunmen forced their way into their homes.
A resident, Suleiman Shuaibu, confirmed in a telephone conversation that the attackers raided two houses and abducted six girls and a 16-year-old boy.
He said the armed men fired repeatedly into the air to scare off locals. “People tried to confront them, but the firepower was too much,” he said.
Shuaibu explained that vigilantes who responded were forced to retreat, as the bandits outgunned them.
He added that the victims, all aged between 16 and 23, included his cousin. “We received the call minutes after the invasion began, and the report was devastating,” he said.
As of this morning, and at the time of filing this report, contact with the kidnappers had not yet been established.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, were also unsuccessful, as calls and text messages were not returned.
The Guild reports that the incident occurred just days after FCT Minister Nyesom Wike ordered tighter security across Abuja, directing agencies to intensify surveillance in border communities and entry routes.
