Gunmen abduct district head in Abaji

Gunmen, suspected to be kidnappers have abducted the district head of Gulida community in Abaji Area Council of the FCT, Alhaji Umar Awoje.

A resident of the community, Ismaila Adamu, said the incident happened on Sunday, at about 2:00a.m. when 10 gunmen invaded the village and shot sporadically into the air.

He said the gunmen, who came through the bush path first went to the house of the village chief but did not meet him there then proceeded to the house of the district head and whisked him away.

He said the gunmen forcefully opened the door of the district head’s apartment after shooting several times on the door before they gained entrance into his room and took him away.

“The sound of the gun shots woke me up and I sat up and watched through the window and saw some people with guns taking the district head away,” he said.

Also commenting on the incident, the Etsu of Yaba, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, confirmed the incident, saying he was asleep when the district head of Gurdi phoned him at about 2:00a.m. telling him that the district head of Gulida had been kidnapped by gunmen.

“In fact, the gunmen first went to the house of the village chief, but they did not meet him at home because he passed the night at Yangoji. They then proceeded to the house of the district head, forced the door open and took him away,” he said.

The traditional ruler, who expressed worry over the incident in his chiefdom, said he would be meeting with the Abaji Divisional Police Officer to ensure that the district head is rescued.

“I have also directed the district head of Gurdi to go to the scene so we could assist the police investigation,” he said.

Our reporter gathered that the kidnappers have already made a demand of N40 million ransom before the district head would be set free. They were said to have communicated through a medicine store owner in the community.

When contacted, the spokesman of the FCT police command, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, asked our reporter to call back again to enable him make enquiries about the incident.