Residents of the Kuntun Bokun community in the Paze area of Kubwa, Abuja, have been thrown into fear following a late-night attack by suspected kidnappers who reportedly abducted a resident and injured another.
The incident, which occurred on May 15, reportedly sent residents fleeing for safety after gunmen stormed the area and fired several shots into the air.
Sources in the community told journalists on Wednesday that the attackers invaded the neighbourhood around 11:40pm, causing panic as residents scrambled indoors.
Eyewitnesses said the armed men, who were heard communicating in Hausa, threatened to shoot anyone found outside during the operation.
One resident said many people initially mistook the gunfire for routine patrol activity by local vigilantes.
“I thought it was the usual vigilante patrol shooting. I even sent messages to some people complaining about the random gunshots before I later heard someone screaming that a person had been shot,” the resident recounted.
During the attack, the gunmen reportedly whisked away a man to an unknown destination, while another resident sustained gunshot injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment.
Residents further disclosed that the assailants operated on foot and did not use motorcycles or vehicles during the raid.
The latest incident has heightened anxiety within the community, particularly following another reported kidnapping case around the Paze axis earlier in March.
Some residents also noted an increase in security patrols across Byazhin and neighbouring communities after the attack.
Efforts to get a reaction from the spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, Josephine Adeh, were unsuccessful as calls made to her phone were not answered as of the time of filing this report.