Barely a week after a police officer was shot dead in Guto, residents of Bwari Area Council have suffered another violent raid, as armed bandits abducted six teenage girls and a 16-year-old boy during a late-night invasion of Gidan-Bijimi, a settlement in Kawu ward.
The attack occurred around 9:47 p.m on Wednesday, when gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed two homes, firing multiple shots into the air before escaping with their captives.
Kawu sits at the border with Kaduna State and is close to Gidan Dogo and Kweti forests, areas long associated with bandit movement along the FCT–Kaduna corridor.
Gidan-Bijimi itself is near Marke village, another hotspot that has witnessed increased criminal activity in recent months.
The latest abduction happened just days after gunmen struck Guto, another boundary community within Bwari, where police said about 30 attackers attempted to kidnap a family.
Two of the assailants were killed in that encounter, but a police officer also died.
A resident of Kawu, Suleiman Shuaibu, confirmed that the kidnapped girls were between 17 and 23 years old.
“I got a call around 9:53 p.m. that bandits had invaded the village. They abducted six young girls. Unfortunately, my cousin sister is among the victims,” he said, adding that a teenage boy was also taken.
Shuaibu noted that local vigilantes tried to repel the attackers but were forced to retreat due to the bandits’ superior firepower.
Many villagers fled into nearby bushes, while others hid in their homes until morning.
As of Thursday, the kidnappers had not contacted the community, and the police were yet to release an official statement.
The incident has heightened concerns over rising insecurity in Bwari Area Council, especially in communities bordering Kaduna and Niger states.
In response to escalating fears, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) announced fresh security measures on Wednesday following a meeting of the FCT Security Council, chaired by Minister Nyesom Wike.
FCT Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, said the council had fully activated Operation Sweep, a multi-agency security initiative reorganised to tackle emerging threats.
The operation now covers four strategic sectors; Gwagwalada, Bwari, and two major corridors stretching from the city centre through Berger, Wuse, Karu, Mararaba, Karshi, and Orozo.
According to him, the minister has provided “adequate logistics” for joint deployments involving the police, military, DSS, NSCDC, FRSC, Immigration, Correctional Service, and other agencies.
Despite these measures, Wednesday night’s raid highlights the vulnerability of remote suburbs and the boldness of criminal groups pushing closer to the capital.
People in the affected communities say they now live in constant anxiety and are pleading for swift action to rescue the victims and prevent further abductions.
