Residents of Peze community in the Byazhi area of Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory have been thrown into fear after gunmen abducted at least sixteen people during a night raid on the settlement.
Community members said the attack took place late Tuesday night when armed men entered the area and began moving through residential compounds in search of victims. The operation reportedly lasted between about 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Among those taken were the wife of a local vigilante commander, her visiting younger sister, and four children belonging to a pastor in the neighbourhood.
A resident who spoke about the incident explained that the attackers had quietly positioned themselves earlier in an uncompleted building located opposite his house before moving into the community. According to him, a neighbour noticed the suspicious gathering and watched them through a window without drawing attention.
The armed men later approached his house, knocking loudly on the door and walking around the building while shouting in an attempt to force a response. He said the group threatened that they would smash windows and kill anyone inside the house if the occupants refused to open the door. When their effort to enter the building failed, they moved to other homes in the area.
“In the end they succeeded in taking many people from different houses,” the resident said. One of the most painful moments for the community involved the family of a pastor whose children were taken during the raid. Residents said the pastor had briefly stepped out of the house when the gunmen arrived.
By the time he returned after hearing alarm from neighbours, four of his children had already been taken away while the youngest child was left behind. The attackers also targeted the household of a vigilante commander known in the area for helping to guard the community against criminals.
Sources said the commander had just left his residence when he received a call from a neighbour informing him that armed men had been sighted in the neighbourhood. He hurried to the location mentioned in the call, unaware that the attackers had already surrounded his own home.
When he later attempted to return, the gunmen intercepted him on the road and fired shots.
The attackers then moved into his house where they seized his wife and her younger sister who had arrived for a visit three days earlier. Residents said the woman had delivered a baby less than forty days before the attack, and the newborn child was left behind. Locals said the gunmen even ate the food the woman had been preparing before taking her away. Families of the victims later received phone calls demanding ransom for the safe return of their relatives.
Residents say the community has experienced several kidnapping incidents in recent weeks and many people now live in fear as they wait for help from security authorities. Community leaders are calling for stronger protection to prevent further attacks and secure the release of those still in captivity.
