Bandits have reportedly abducted a 16-year-old boy and six girls from Gidan-Bijimi in Kawu Ward of the Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to reports, Gidan-Bijimi shares a boundary with Marke village, near the border with Kaduna State.
A resident of Kawu, Suleiman Shuaibu, confirmed the incident to our reporter on Thursday morning. He said bandits armed with AK-47 rifles raided two houses in the community at about 9:47 p.m., abducting six young girls and a 16-year-old boy amid sporadic gunfire.
Shuaibu noted that the attack threw the community into chaos. Some local vigilantes attempted to confront the bandits but were forced to retreat due to the assailants’ superior firepower. He added that the girls abducted were between 17 and 23 years old.
“It was around 9:53 p.m. when a call came from Gidan-Bijimi community that bandits had invaded the village and taken six young girls. Unfortunately, my cousin sister was among the victims,” he said.
Some residents reportedly fled their homes following the attack, and attempts to establish contact with the abductors have so far been unsuccessful.
Efforts to reach SP Josephine Adeh, spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
This incident comes just days after the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, directed an enhancement of security across Abuja, including improved surveillance at all borders and entry points with neighbouring states.
Following the directive, a joint military task force comprising the police, Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies was deployed across the territory.
