Nigeria Police have confirmed that at least 10 people were abducted in Tungan Maje, a suburb of Abuja early Thursday.
The attack by gunmen lasted hours in the community that lies near Zuba and Niger State.
One resident said at least 20 people were kidnapped after prolonged shooting in the town. At least two children were amongst the victims.
A source in the town told the media that intense shooting started in the community at about 12.15 a.m. and lasted more than an hour.
He said members of the local vigilante group and police were overwhelmed.
“We didn’t sleep throughout the night. It’s this morning that the vigilantes told us about 20 people were abducted,” he said. He said so far the families of two children who were taken away had been identified.
In a statement Thursday afternoon, the police spokesperson for FCT, Mr Anjuguri Manzah, a deputy superintendent, said police had “rescued” five out of 10 abducted residents.
“FCT Police Command wishes to assure the public that protection of lives and property remains the core of its policing mandate and it will continue to inject fresh strategies that will place the security of the Federal Capital Territory at its optimum,” the statement said.
“The Command wishes to inform the public that when it received a distress call on Kidnap of some persons on 10th September, 2020 at about 0130hrs in Tungan Maje, a village bordering FCT and Niger state, a joint team of Police operatives from the Command Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Rapid Response Squad and Zuba Police Division responded swiftly to the occasion.
“During a fierce gun confrontation with the heavily armed hoodlums, Police team successfully rescued five of the kidnapped victims.
“Meanwhile, concerted effort is being made to rescue the remaining five victims still with the hoodlums who escaped into Niger state through a nearby forest surrounded by rocky terrain.
“The Command reassures members of the Public with its commitment to deploy proactive crime-fighting measures to ensure the security of lives and property in FCT.”
The attack is coming days after reports suggested that members of the extremist group, Boko Haram, had infiltrated the federal capital.
PT