The village head of Dnako in Bwari Area Council, Abuja, HRH Etsu Yuda Garba, has been kidnapped along with his two grandchildren and five other residents.
A local resident, Mr. Tanko Baba, confirmed the incident on Tuesday, stating that the kidnappers stormed the community around midnight. He identified the abducted grandchildren as Ephraim and Philemon.
According to Baba, the armed kidnappers, carrying AK-47 rifles, first raided four houses, taking five people before heading to the village head’s residence. Some of the attackers, dressed in military uniforms, broke into the house, seized the traditional ruler, and took his sleeping grandchildren while firing gunshots.
One of the victims, Nicholas, had just returned from the hospital, where his wife had given birth when he encountered the kidnappers.
“Mr. Nicholas, who is my cousin, had just come back from the hospital when he ran into them,” Baba said.
The kidnappers escaped with the victims before soldiers arrived, though security forces are still pursuing them.
Witnesses said the attackers operated for nearly 30 minutes before firing shots as they fled, possibly to prevent anyone from chasing them.
A police source in Bwari confirmed the incident but directed inquiries to the command. Efforts to reach FCT police spokesperson Superintendent Josephine Adeh were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
Bwari has experienced repeated attacks by bandits in recent times, leading residents to appeal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for urgent intervention.
