In yet another incident of kidnapping in Nigeria’s seat of power, kidnappers have launched an attack on another estate in Abuja and abducted two people.
The abductees, which include the wife and one of the in-laws of a lawyer, Mr. Cyril Adikwu, were whisked away from their residents around 10 p.m. on Thursday night from the Nigerian Army Post Housing Estate in the Kurudu area of Abuja.
Narrating the harrowing experience to journalists, a resident of the estate, Mr. Austine John, said the kidnappers entered the estate, shooting sporadically, before abducting the two, while Mr. Adikwu managed to escape.
Mr. Austin said: “It all started at about 10:00. We suddenly started hearing gunshots, and immediately we knew something was wrong. I quickly went out to make sure my gate was well locked.
“Then we heard the gunshot in the barrister’s house, and then we alerted the estate’s management, who immediately swung into action. In a short time, army people came around and started shooting too, but before they came, the kidnappers had taken the wife and one of the in-laws of the barrister.
“This is really traumatizing because we could not sleep throughout the night due to fear of the kidnappers coming back. President Tinubu should please help Nigerians put an end to this barbaric act by the kidnappers.”
The FCT has been facing an alarming surge in insecurity, prompting growing concerns among residents and authorities.
Persecondnews recalls that six girls and their father were abducted on January 9, 2024, at their home in Bwari, a suburb of Abuja.
Sadly, the kidnappers killed the eldest sister, Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, a 400-level biological science student at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, because the ransom payment was late.
The gunmen, who had reportedly demanded N60 million to free the remaining abductees, released their father to go and mobilize funds for the ransom.
In another development, on January 7, gunmen dressed in military camouflage uniforms invaded the Sagwari layout estate in Dutse, another suburb in FCT, and kidnapped about 10 people.
The kidnappers also demanded a N60 million ransom from the families of the abductees for their release. The gunmen, seeking to issue a stern warning to families, were negotiating ransom and killed three of the 10 victims.
Among the three victims killed was a 13-year-old secondary school student identified as Folorunsho Ariyo.
The tragic killings of Nabeeha, Folorunsho, and two others have triggered widespread condemnation across the country.
Also, the ransom demand was increased from the initial N60 million per person to N100 million, bringing the total ransom to N700 million, following crowd-funding from netizens.
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