Family of three, others kidnapped in Abuja

On Sunday night, Chikakore, a community in Kubwa, Abuja, was attacked by bandits who kidnapped five residents, including a family of three.
The attackers, armed and numbering around 20, arrived at the Health Centre extension area of Chikakore at about 11 p.m.
According to police sources, the criminals targeted specific homes, including that of Adesiyan Akinropo, a resident originally from Southwestern Nigeria.
Akinropo, his wife, son, a visitor, and a neighbor were all abducted, bringing the total number of kidnapped individuals to five.
A woman was also seriously injured during the attack, suffering a severe head wound from being struck with the butt of a gun. She was promptly taken to a hospital for treatment.
Although police from the Byzahin division arrived an hour and a half after the attack, the bandits had already escaped with their victims.
A concerned resident voiced frustrations, saying, “The bandits are back in Chikakore. We have land and a five-bedroom apartment ready for police use, but there’s still no police deployment. In this case, the officers arrived long after the attackers had taken the victims.”
The FCT Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement through its spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, a superintendent of police.
Adeh said the command received a distress call from the community at about 1:00 am on Monday, January 28, and promptly deployed its operatives to the area.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that seven unknown men, disguised as vigilante members and armed with machetes and sticks, attacked the residence of the victim.
“The suspects deceived him into opening his gate, after which they abducted him and three members of his family. A neighbour who attempted to intervene sustained injuries during the attack and was promptly rushed to Kubwa General Hospital for medical attention.
“The FCT Police Command has commenced a comprehensive search and rescue operation aimed at securing the safe recovery of the abducted victims and apprehending the perpetrators of this criminal act,” he said.