Armed gunmen have killed a local vigilante and abducted four residents during an attack on the Byazhin community in Kubwa, within the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The attack reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday when heavily armed assailants stormed the area.
A resident, Aliyu, said the attackers, estimated to be about 28 in number, may have laid siege to the community before carrying out the operation.
“The attack happened in the early hours of Thursday. The gunmen were about 28. I believe they may have camped around the area before striking. They abducted four residents and took them into the bush. A vigilante member who was helping to secure the community was shot from behind and later died from the gunshot injury,” he said.
A security source who confirmed the incident disclosed that the slain vigilante had since been buried.
The source added that a joint team comprising military personnel, police officers and local vigilantes had launched a search-and-rescue operation to locate the abducted victims and apprehend the attackers.
“It is true. The vigilante has been buried. Security operatives, including the military, police and vigilantes, are already combing the surrounding bushes in search of the kidnappers and to rescue the victims,” the source said.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, DSP Josephine Adeh, were unsuccessful as calls to her telephone line could not be connected as of the time of filing this report.
Byazhin, a rapidly expanding suburb of Kubwa, has witnessed a number of security incidents in recent times, raising concerns among residents and prompting increased security operations in the area.
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