Gunmen storm Kuje community in FCT, kidnap 15 people

Story from Haruna YUSUF, Abuja

Gunmen have kidnapped over 15 residents at the 1000 Unit Estate along Pegi Community in Kuje New Site area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Following the intensification of the activities of gunmen that are terrorising the Kuje Area Council, the community’s residents are currently living in fear.

It was reliably gathered that the gunmen who were about 12 in number stormed the estate at about 8:00 pm on Sunday, May 14, 2023, and boldly entered some of the houses ordering the occupants to follow them or face severe consequences for any act of disobedience.

READ ALSO: Gunmen terrorize Abuja neighborhood, kidnap residents

A resident of the community who identified himself simply as Sule said that the victims were captured close to the 1000Unit estate main gate after the initial attempts by the gunmen to abduct residents of Woodhull estate in the same area failed.

Sule said that the unfortunate development has created fear among the residents of the community who are presently in panic mode as they are not sure of the next line of action of the criminals.

He further said, “Yesterday, 14th May, at about 8 pm and 8:45 pm, some gunmen in their large numbers came to carry out an operation in the untarred road leading to 1000 Unit estate around Pegi resettlement area.

“We started hearing the sounds of gunshots. There was panic in the entire community as a result of the incident.

“This morning, in the neighbourhood, we observed that the husband of the woman who sells second-hand clothes at the main entrance to the estate was among the people kidnapped while he was returning from work.

“They shot sporadically into the air taking few others returning from town around that period away with them,” he said.

Another resident of Woodhill Estate close to the Topechi community in Kuje new site area, disclosed that gunshots were heard very close to the estate about the same time but it was the following morning they heard that the estate security had exchanged gunfire with some of the kidnappers.

The resident, who does not want his identity known for fear of insecurity, said that one of his friends was among those kidnapped on Sunday while he was returning home.

He said, “We heard that he was taken along with many others at gunpoint. They escaped through the Buzunkure area of the estate which leads to the desert mountain areas behind Pegi community.”

It was also gathered from some residents of the 1000Units that the vigilante groups which had been up and doing fencing-off criminals in the area stopped working owing to lack of sponsorship.

The residents also said that police vehicles that used to patrol the community have now changed to once in a long while, mainly when kidnap incidents like the one that took place on Sunday night occurred.

In the meantime, the families of those abducted are yet to be contacted as they hope that their loved ones would be in an average condition.

So far, the Kuje Police Divisional headquarters and the FCT Police command are yet to comment on the unfortunate development.

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