Troops of the 7 Guards Battalion of the Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army, in conjunction with elements of the Nigeria Police Force and local vigilantes, successfully rescued 19 kidnapped victims during a coordinated search and rescue operation conducted around Gidan Dogo in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
The Guards Brigade, in a statement on Saturday by Lieutenant Odunayo, said, “The operation was launched following credible intelligence on the whereabouts of terrorists responsible for the recent abduction of residents from the Byazhin area of Bwari.”
“During the operation, troops made contact with the bandits, leading to a firefight in which one of the criminals was neutralised while others fled the scene with suspected gunshot wounds. Further exploitation of the area led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle and one locally fabricated firearm. Additionally, all 19 kidnapped victims were successfully rescued and evacuated to safety,” the statement read.
Troops have returned to their Forward Operating Base in Bwari while rescued victims are being attended to. The military stated that troops will continue to dominate the general area to forestall further criminal activities.
The Commander Guards Brigade, Brigadier General Adebisi Olusegun Onasanya, commended the troops and collaborating security agencies for their bravery and professionalism during the operation.
“He further reiterated that the Guards Brigade remains resolute and fully committed to safeguarding residents of the Federal Capital Territory and protecting Abuja as the nation’s seat of power. The Brigade will continue to intensify operations in collaboration with other security agencies to rid the territory and its environs of terrorism, kidnapping and other criminal activities,” the statement added.
The rescue operation followed fears and anxiety on Friday after unconfirmed social media postings that more than 16 people were kidnapped during a violent raid in the Peze community, Byazhin area of Kubwa, Bwari Area Council, on Tuesday night.
The victims were said to include four children of a local pastor, the wife of a community vigilante commander, and her younger sister. Residents reported that the heavily armed gunmen carried out the attack between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., moving from house to house and attempting to force entry.
One resident described seeing the attackers gather in an unfinished building across from his home before launching the operation. “They started banging on doors and shouting. If someone responded, they would break windows to enter,” he said.
The gunmen abducted victims from homes they could penetrate, threatening to kill anyone who resisted. Among those taken were the pastor’s four children, whose father was briefly away when the attack occurred. The family of a local vigilante commander was also targeted, with his wife and visiting sister-in-law abducted, though a newborn in the house was left behind.
