No fewer than four people were killed while 39 others were kidnapped when blood thirsty bandits invaded Kuduru, Bwari area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as Garam and Azu, two communities under Niger State.
On Saturday, December 23, bandits invaded Garam community, which is five minutes drive from Bwari, killing a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, while kidnapping 13 other persons.
On Thursday, December 28, bandits again invaded Kuduru, which shares a boundary with Garam, and kidnapped 18 persons.
Also on Friday, December 29, bandits invaded Azu, killing three people and kidnapping eight others.
A resident of Garam, who identified herself as Mrs. Juliana said the first house the bandits entered, they asked for the house of their target.
She stated: “The bandits entered a wrong house, kidnapped two boys who later led them to the house of their target.
“When they got there, they kidnapped the entire family, but while leaving the house, they shot the man (their target), who is a pastor at the Redeemed Christians Church of God in the presence of his wife and their three children.”
It was further gathered that when the wife realised that she left her six month old baby behind, she asked for permission of the bandits to go carry the baby, and she was followed back to the house by the only female among the bandits.
However, when the female bandit ran out of patience, she left the woman, joined the others and went with the other kidnapped persons who were 13 in number.”
The pastor’s wife, it was gathered, is a teacher in one of the government secondary schools in Bwari.
Another eyewitness said the bandits made their way to the house of a military personnel, asking for his rifle and uniform from the wife.
“The wife told them that her husband is on duty. They, however, kidnapped two of his children.”
The eyewitness added that 13 persons were kidnapped, while a five year old boy of the Redeemed pastor that was killed was abandoned by the bandits at the river side because he couldn’t cross the river.
The boy was rescued by the vigilante who went on the trail of the bandits.
Efforts to get clarification on what actually happened from the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, were not successful as she did not reply messages sent to her and did not pick calls placed to her.
However, the FCT Police Commissioner, Haruna Garba, on Friday, during a press briefing rolled out successes recorded by the command from the 1st day of December 2023 till date.
He said: “You will recall that on 28 November, 2023 which is exactly one (1) month today. The command recorded the following successes; Total number of one chance suspects arrested -11. Total number of suspected kidnappers/informants arrested -7. Total number of stolen vehicles recovered -3. Total number of firearms recovered -5. Total number of ammunitions recovered -3. Total number of kidnappers neutralized -1. Total number of suspects paraded -43.
“While from the 1st of December till date, the command recorded the following; Total number of one- chance suspects arrested -9. Total number of stolen vehicles recovered -5. Total number of firearms recovered -5. Total number of armed robbery suspects arrested -12. Total number of rape suspects -2. Total number of ammunition recovered -12. Total number of suspects paraded -23.
“Going by the above analysis, you will agree with me that the crime rate in the Federal Capital Territory has dropped immensely,” he added.
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