Bandits Raid Peze Community In Abuja, Kidnap 16 Including Pastor’s Children And Vigilante Commander’s Wife

Heavily armed gunmen carried out a deadly raid on Peze community in the Byazhi area of Kubwa, Bwari Area Council, within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, abducting at least 16 residents.

According to Sahara Reporters, the victims include four children of a local pastor, the wife of a vigilante commander, and her younger sister, who had been visiting the family.

The attack took place on Tuesday night between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., with the gunmen moving from house to house, attempting to force their way in. One resident said the assailants had assembled in an unfinished building opposite his home before beginning the operation.

“They started banging on my door and moving around the house, shouting to see if anyone would react. The way they operate is that once you respond, they break the window to gain entry,” the resident said. He added that the attackers threatened to kill anyone who refused to open their doors.

Unable to enter his house, the gunmen moved on to other homes, eventually abducting several people. The pastor’s four children were taken while he was away, leaving only the youngest at home.

The vigilante commander’s family was also targeted. He had just left his home when a neighbour warned him of the attack. Unaware that his own house was surrounded, he rushed toward the scene, only to be blocked and fired upon. The gunmen then entered his home, abducting his wife and her visiting sister, leaving behind the woman’s newborn, who was less than 40 days old.

The resident noted that the kidnappers even ate the food the woman had been preparing before taking her. Security operatives later arrived, but the assailants had already fled with their captives. The abductors have since contacted the families, demanding ransom for their release.