Breaking news:FCT The kidnappers were about 15 in number. They operated from 12.15 a.m. until 2.46 am firing sporadically – see details

Criminality in Abuja, the federal capital, has intensified with the latest attacks on Gbaupe, a rural village near ACO Estate Lugbe, along the Abuja Airport Road. During the attack on Sunday, 12 individuals, including a 9-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, were kidnapped. A villager reported that two of the abducted individuals managed to escape as they were being taken into the bush behind the village. This incident marked an unprecedented magnitude of kidnapping in Gbaupe, despite previous criminal attacks in the area.

Vanguard reported that the attack occurred in the early hours, with the kidnappers, numbering up to 15, operating between 12:15 am and 2:46 am. Local Vigilante members engaged the kidnappers, but they were overpowered due to the criminals’ superior firepower. Regrettably, one vigilante member lost his life during the confrontation. As of the latest update, the kidnappers had not made contact with the families of the victims. The resident who provided information on the incident highlighted that this was the third kidnapping incident in Gbaupe this year.

According to a resident: “The kidnapping incident happened in the early hours of yesterday, December 11th Dec. at Gbaupe village behind ACO Estate, Airport Road Abuja. 12 people were kidnapped including three young people and women. Two men later escaped. One vigilante was killed. The kidnappers were about 15 in number. They operated from 12.15 a.m. until 2.46 am firing sporadically. The kidnappers are yet to make contact with the family. This is the 3rd incident this year.”

In a related incident, a nursing mother and three children were kidnapped by bandits in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. This occurred on Sunday night between 7 pm and 9 pm, with residents expressing frustration over the lack of security intervention. The bandits abducted a woman along with her six-month-old baby and two other children. Francis Bobai, a resident and board of trustees member of the community, emphasized that this was the fifth kidnapping incident without effective government action.