Suspected bandits have killed a security guard and abducted three persons, including a pastor, during a late-night attack on Mpape Community in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The attack, which occurred on Wednesday night, targeted the Yellow House area of Mpape, a community located a few minutes from the highbrow Maitama District and close to a military barracks in Abuja.
According to residents, the armed attackers, believed to be about 10 in number, stormed the area shortly before 11 p.m. and attempted to break into a residence believed to have been their target.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attackers abandoned the attempt after a police patrol team, alerted to the incident, arrived at the scene.
“They could not gain access to the house. As soon as the police arrived, they exchanged gunfire with the officers and retreated,” the source said.
The source added that while fleeing, the gunmen intercepted a pastor who was returning home and abducted him from his vehicle.
The attackers also reportedly kidnapped two other residents along the road before escaping.
“The pastor’s vehicle was later recovered by security operatives after it was abandoned within the neighbourhood,” the source added.
During the attack, a resident sustained a gunshot injury to the leg and was later taken to hospital by police officers for treatment.
Residents said sporadic gunfire continued to echo around the community until about 2 a.m., creating panic among inhabitants.
As of the time of filing this report, the FCT Police Command had yet to comment on the incident. Efforts to reach the command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, were unsuccessful, as she did not respond to telephone calls or a WhatsApp message seeking confirmation.
