Residents say fewer than 50 gunmen “in military uniform” have raided Dawaki community in Abuja, and abducted at least 20 people.
Dawaki is a densely populated community located opposite Gwarimpa estate, along Kubwa expressway.
Residents said the attack is yet another daring onslaught by the armed men, who they described as bandits, armed robbers, terrorists, among other names.
It was learnt that the invaders, armed with different categories of weapons, stormed Dawaki around 7.30 pm on Sunday, May 19, and operated for over an hour.
A resident of Dawaki, Hosea Christopher, said the bandits abducted 17 residents from three houses and on the street along Fulani Junction.
He, however, said five of the abductees escaped while being taken towards a mountain in the outskirt of the area.
He said while the bandits were heading to a forest around the Usuma Dam, they were confronted by DSS operatives.
“They immediately opened fire on the security men but there was corresponding response. Despite the fierce offensive by the DSS operatives, the bandits were able to escape,” he said.
Other sources said more than 20 people were abducted.
Abel James, a resident who escaped abduction, said, the attackers wore uniforms and had face masks.
“But I doubted their genuineness when they started shooting sporadically. As they moved towards the community, I headed into a house under construction and climbed upstairs from where I kept looking at their operation, with gunshots as they were leaving towards the hill,” he said.
“We later learnt that two of the gunmen were captured by the security men that included DSS and soldiers who joined them later around the Usuma Dam, where the fire exchange took place.”
A community leader in the area said most of the parked vehicles around Fulani Junction were hit by bullets.
The FCT Commissioner of Police (CP), Benneth Igweh, confirmed the incident on Monday.
He said he led the rescue operation on Sunday around Ushafa- Shishipe through the Mpape hills.
He said that the operation followed a distress call after an attack on some residents of Dawaki by gunmen.
“We advanced towards the assailants, tactically ambushing them at Ushafa Hill via Bwari down to Shishipe, resulting in a fierce gun battle with the hoodlums, which forced them to flee with bullet wounds and we rescued some of the abducted victims,” he said.
Igweh added that the rescued victims were in the hospital receiving medical attention.
