By Usman Shuaibu
The Kwaita community in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory has been thrown into fear and confusion after a pregnant woman was shot dead while three persons, including her husband, were abducted by unknown gunmen who raided the community at midnight.
Residents of the area disclosed that the raid took place between 11pm and midnight on Wednesday.
It was gathered that the kidnappers moved from one house to the other houses of their victims and whisked them away after shooting sporadically into the air to scare people from intervening.
The pregnant woman was allegedly hit by a stray bullet and she died on the spot before help could come as villagers allegedly ran away for safety as a result of the sporadic shooting by the gun men.
Honourable Simon Zhokwo, a Senior Special Adviser to the Chairman on Agricultural Matters confirmed the attack in a telephone interview and stated that the entire community has been thrown into panic because of the worsening insecurity in the area.
He also called on security personnel to do everything within their powers to fish out the gun men and bring them to book apart from ensuring the release of those abducted.
Soldier arrest armed herdsmen in two cars heading to Kuje.
Cyril Mbah, Abuja. Posted March 5, 2021.
Residents of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are in celebration mood over the arrest of armed herdsmen who arrived the community with concealed weapons in their vehicles.
The Fulani herdsmen were apprehended by troops of the 176 Battalion, Gwagwalada, during a stop and search operation at the entrance of Kuje Area Council on Thursday following a tip-off. The mission of the armed herdsmen in Kuje has not been made known.
Nigerian Army personnel stated that nine persons were in the two vehicles and were moving in a convoy. When they were stopped for a search at a military checkpoint, it was discovered that one of the Golf cars carrying five Fulani herdsmen contained locally made guns and large quantities of ammunition neatly concealed in bags under the seats.
Soldiers from the 176 Battalion, Gwagwalada, have checkpoints within and around many towns and troops usually patrol Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji and Kwali area councils apart from conducting periodic stop and search operation even in the night.
The suspects were allegedly detained for several hours at the checkpoint awaiting interrogation after which they would be transfered to the police for prosecution.
A resident told reporters that “The Fulani herdsmen were arrested by troops of 176 Battalion during the routine stop-and-search within the entrance to Kuje Area Council. They hid several locally made weapons inside their Golf car. Some of the residents of the area provided intelligence to the military.
“They are still being quizzed on how they got their weapons, where they were heading to and what other crimes they may have committed,” the source said.
Several parts of Abuja have been grappling with banditry and other forms of insecurity ranging from kidnapping for ransom to armed robbery, one-chance operations and car snatching.
Few days ago, gunmen killed a pregnant woman during a midnight raid on Kwaita community in the Kwali Area Council and also abducted three persons, including the woman’s husband.
