Bandits have reportedly abducted a 16-year-old boy and six girls during a night raid on Gidan-Bijimi, a community in Kawu Ward of Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Gidan-Bijimi lies close to Marke village, near the FCT’s boundary with Kaduna State.
A resident of Kawu, Suleiman Shuaibu, confirmed the incident to our reporter on Thursday morning.
He said the attackers, armed with AK-47 rifles, stormed two houses at about 9:47 p.m. and abducted the seven youths amid sustained gunfire.
Shuaibu said the girls taken were between 17 and 23 years old.
He added that the attack triggered panic across the community, forcing residents to flee into nearby bushes. Local vigilantes attempted to confront the bandits but were overwhelmed by their superior weapons.
“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.
Attempts by residents to reach the abductors have so far been unsuccessful.
Efforts to contact the spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The attack occurred just days after FCT Minister Nyesom Wike issued directives for enhanced security across Abuja, including heightened surveillance at border communities and entry points shared with neighbouring states.
Following the directive, a joint task force involving the military, police, Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies was deployed across the territory.