Police foil another kidnap attempt in Bwari

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

There was pandemonium at the El-Rufai Estate in the Bwari Area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), when kidnappers invaded the Estate  and shot one of the residents.

The kidnappers numbering over fifteen were said to have stormed the estate at about 2 am in the early hours of Wednesday, shooting sporadically to frighten the residents.

However operatives from the FCT police command in conjunction with soldiers of the Guards Brigade were able to foil the kidnap of residents of the estate which left one of the residents simply known as Nathaniel injured.

A resident who does not want his name mentioned in print for fear being attacked said  that the police and kidnappers engaged themselves in a fierce gun  battle  that lasted for over 30 minutes, thus making it difficult for the kidnappers were to abduct anyone from the estate. He said that one of the victims that they wanted to take along with them, was short and abandoned by the kidnappers when they could no longer withstand the firing power of the security operatives.

Narrating how the incident occurred a resident Ibrahim, said “Around 2 am on Wednesday, some kidnappers numbering about 15 came to the Elrufai Estate here. All of them were carrying guns and they were shooting non-stop.

“The kidnappers attempted to kidnap some persons. You know in this area we have experienced a lot of kidnappings in the past but recently the police have been very active.

“Fortunately, the police came on time and they exchanged fire with those kidnappers which lasted for about 30 minutes or so but at the end of the day, nobody was abducted  by the kidnappers. However, the kidnappers shot one Nathaniel. They wanted to take him away but they couldn’t because of the exchange of fire between them and the police”.

The FCT police command public relations officer Josephine Adeh, confirmed the attack on the estate when contacted, and said the police are on the trail of the kidnappers.

Adeh said, “We received a distress call and the DPO of Bwari mobilized his men along with the military and swiftly repelled the miscreants in a gun duel. No one was kidnapped.

“The police are on the trail of the kidnappers.”