TRAGEDY struck in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday night when a vigilante official was shot dead, and another critically wounded during a gun battle between suspected kidnappers and security operatives in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
The incident occurred around 10:47 p.m. in Kpaduma community, AMAC, when armed kidnappers launched a coordinated attack in an attempt to abduct residents.
Eyewitnesses told News Point Nigeria that the armed gang stormed the community under the cover of darkness and began firing sporadically to scare residents.
Danjuma Sheduza Moses, a resident of Kpaduma, said locals immediately alerted the community’s vigilante team, who quickly mobilized and, together with the police anti-kidnap squad, confronted the attackers.
A fierce gun battle ensued, forcing the kidnappers to abandon their mission and flee into the surrounding forest.
Spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, SP Adeh Josephine, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday made available to News Point Nigeria.
According to her, the FCT Police Commissioner, CP Saka Ajao Adewale, personally led a rapid response team comprising the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), and the Divisional Police Officer of Asokoro Division.
“And on sighting the police team, the assailants opened fire, using two female victims as human shields to escape,” SP Josephine said.
She added that despite the kidnappers’ tactics, the security team successfully rescued the two female victims unharmed after an intense gunfight.
Unfortunately, two members of the local vigilante team were shot during the crossfire. They were immediately evacuated to the National Hospital in Abuja.
“One of the victims was confirmed dead by a medical doctor, while the other remains under close medical care and is responding to treatment,” Josephine stated.
She added that CP Adewale commended the gallantry of the police operatives and vigilante members while extending his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased.
The FCT Police Command assured residents of improved security surveillance across AMAC and other area councils, reiterating its commitment to flushing out kidnappers and other criminal elements terrorizing rural communities in the nation’s capital.
Residents have also been urged to promptly report suspicious movements and activities to security agencies to prevent future attacks.