Posted by Samuel on Wed 10th Jan, 2024 - tori.ng
The bandits have reached across to some of the affected families, demanding millions of naira as ransom.
According to a report by SaharaReportters, it was learnt that two siblings of the Chairman of the Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, John Gabaya, were among the scores of residents kidnapped when terrorists, locally dubbed as bandits, invaded some communities in the council.
The bandits have reached across to some of the affected families, demanding millions of naira as ransom.
SaharaReporters reported on January 4, 2024, that the bandits attacked some communities around the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and kidnapped an undisclosed number of residents on Wednesday, January 3.
The bandits were said to have stormed the communities and attacked residents unhindered a few days after a series of attacks on Garam, a community that shares a boundary with Bwari in FCT.
The hoodlums also extended the attack to Zuma in neighbouring Niger State.
However, among the abducted residents in the attack were two brothers of Hon. Gabaya, a police source told SaharaReporters.
He said, “No place is safe again especially those living in border FCT communities with other states. The rich are also afraid now. Two brothers of the Bwari Area Council Chairman were among the victims of the penultimate Wednesday's attack and abduction.
"The hoodlums are already demanding millions in ransom to free them. Those low-value targets are the ones that had escaped and returned home."
When SaharaReporters reached out to the Council Chairman, he could not confirm or deny it as he only invited SaharaReporters to his office, saying he could not speak on the matter on the phone.
When asked whether the kidnappers had contacted his family for ransom, the Council Chairman, requested that the reporter should come to his office, adding "because I cannot communicate with a person on the phone that I don't know because I don't even know whether I'm even speaking with the kidnapper. So, those issues are sensitive issues that I cannot discuss on the telephone."
He revealed that because of the worsening security in the council, a meeting with chiefs and other stakeholders would be held on Wednesday at the Council Headquarters.
"We have a security meeting by 10 am with the chiefs and other stakeholders. The issue of kidnapping incident is one where the office of the Minister (FCT) has helped seriously on. The troops of the Nigerian Army, police, and every other security agency have surrounded all of Bwari and they are helping.
"With the help of security that was given to us in Bwari, so many have escaped from the captivity. I think this is the only information I will be able to give you now."
When asked that the kidnappers released those after ransom payment, the chairman said "no", adding that it was because of the security that went for them. "They were running and some of the victims were able to escape."
He, however, assured that Bwari was relatively calm and there was no need for panic.