By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja

It was a beautiful Holy Thursday evening 

in Chida community of Kwali Area 

Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and John Kwayidami, the traditional chief of the village, was sitting outside his house, enjoying the cool breeze.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of gunshots. He looked up and saw a group of armed men running towards him.

“Chief, come with us! You are our hostage now,” one of the gunmen shouted.

John was shocked and frightened. “Why are you doing this?” he asked.

“We need money, and we know the government will pay a ransom for your release. Now come with us quietly, or we will shoot,” the gunman replied.

John had no choice but to comply. The gunmen grabbed him and started dragging him away. John’s wife and children were screaming and crying, but the gunmen paid no attention to their pleas.

Meanwhile, other gunmen were going from house to house, rounding up residents and taking them hostage. One of the residents, an 18-year-old boy named Solomon, tried to run away,  he was shot in the leg.

“Please, don’t shoot me! I didn’t do anything wrong!” Solomon cried out in pain.

The gunmen showed no mercy. “You should have stayed put, boy,” one of them said before shooting him.

As the gunmen made their escape, the community was left in shock and disbelief. The news of the kidnapping spread quickly, and the security agencies were immediately alerted.

Hours have turned into days, and the community waited anxiously for any news about their chief and the other kidnapped residents. 

Finally, after several days of searching, contact was established last Saturday evening when the leader of the kidnappers called the families of the victims to demand ransom.

In a related event, on the 30th of March, 2023, barely a week before the gunmen struck in Chida, it was a typical day in Gishiri village, a small community located near highbrow Maitama district of Abuja. The sun was shining, and the locals were going about their usual business.

However, things were about to take a turn for the worse.

A gang of criminals had been terrorizing the community for months. They consumed and peddled illicit drugs, intimidated, attacked, and assaulted innocent citizens, and dispossessed them of their valuables. 

The gang possessed and used dangerous weapons both day and night, and they had no regard for elders and leaders of the community. They went on a rampage, stabbing and brutalizing over 10 people with cutlasses and destroying many vehicles in the process.

One resident, Mary, recounted her experience. “I was on my way to the market when I saw the gang. They were armed with cutlasses and were attacking anyone in their path. I tried to run, but one of them caught up with me and stabbed me in the arm. I was lucky to escape with my life,” she told Saturday Vanguard.

Another resident, Ahmed, who spoke to Our Correspondent described how the gang had no respect for anyone. 

“They came to my house and demanded money. When I told them I had none, they beat me up and took my phone and laptop. They have no regard for elders or leaders of the community,” he said

The incident created a bad image for Gishiri village, and the residents were left feeling scared and helpless. They wondered why the government had not done more to curb the activities of the gang.

“We need more security in our community. We cannot live like this anymore,” one resident said.

The FCT Administration had always promised to take decisive action to bring an end to the menace of gangsterism in the nation’s capital. 

So, security agencies were deployed to the community, and after several days of intelligence-gathering, they were able to apprehend about 40 members of the gang.

The residents were relieved to hear the news, but they knew that it would take more than just arresting a few members to make a lasting impact.

“We need to work together to ensure that our community is safe. We cannot rely on the government alone,” Ibikunle another resident of Gishiri said.

The incident served as a wake-up call for the community, and they vowed to work together to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Knowing it would be a long road ahead, the residents of Gishiri were determined to take back their community from the criminals who had been terrorizing. They have formed a community watch group and began patrolling the streets at night to deter criminal activities.

Similarly, it was a quiet Wednesday morning this week in Zone E Extension Apo Resettlement until a loud commotion broke the silence. Residents woke up to the sound of screams echoing through the streets. Panic set in as people realized that an armed robbery was underway.

One resident, who did not want his name in print for security reasons, quickly dialed the emergency police hotline to alert the authorities.

“Hello, please help us! There’s an armed robbery happening in our neighborhood. We need your help!” he said frantically.

The police immediately dispatched a team of operatives from the Apo Divisional Headquarters to the scene. The team arrived within minutes and quickly assessed the situation. They saw that the robbers had already broken into several houses and were attempting to escape with their loot.

The robbers were heavily armed and had managed to overpower the security guards in the neighborhood. But the police were not deterred. They knew that the safety of the residents was at stake, and they had to act fast.

The robbers, caught off guard by the police’s sudden arrival, were momentarily stunned. But they quickly regained their composure and tried to escape, but the operatives were well-trained and prepared for such situations.

After a few minutes of intense chase, two of the robbers who were trying to escape in a red Volkswagen Golf with Reg No. LUY 899 KV were subdued and arrested around the Games Village roundabout. 

One of the residents, Mrs. Adeyemi, who had been hiding in her home during the ordeal, came out to express her gratitude to the police. “Thank you so much for saving us! We were so scared, but you came to our rescue. We are forever grateful,” she repeatedly said.

As the police operatives left the scene with the suspects in custody, they knew that they had done their duty to protect the people and maintain law and order. They were proud to be part of the force that kept the city safe.

However, the FCT Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, told Saturday Vanguard that the arrested suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.

“The public are enjoined to remain law-abiding, be vigilant and keep up prompt rendition of distress calls/complaints through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883, while the Public Complaint Bureau (PCB) desk, could be reached on: 0902 222 2352,” she added.