Panic has gripped residents of Gidan-Bijimi in Kawu ward, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), after bandits stormed the community late Wednesday and abducted six young women and a 16-year-old boy.
As reported by Daily Trust, the border community, which shares a boundary with Marke village near Kaduna State, came under siege shortly before 10 p.m., according to reports.
A resident, Suleiman Shuaibu, confirmed the attack during a phone conversation with Daily Trust on Thursday.
He said the armed bandits, carrying AK-47 rifles, invaded two houses in the community around 9:47 p.m., firing sporadically and abducting six young girls and a 16-year-old boy.
The attack threw the community into chaos, he noted.
According to him, a group of vigilantes made an attempt to repel the attackers but were easily overpowered by the criminals’ superior weapons.
Shuaibu disclosed that the kidnapped girls are aged between 17 and 23.
“It was around 9:53 pm when a call came from Gidan -Bijimi community that some bandits invaded the village and abducted six young girls, unfortunately my cousin sister happened to be among the victims,” he said.
He added that several residents fled their homes in fear following the incident, while contact with the kidnappers had yet to be established as of Thursday morning.