Police kill two bandits, rescue five abductees in Abuja

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Ahmed Mohammed Sanusi, commissioner of police in the FCT, said two suspected members of the gang were killed during the operation, while two others were arrested.

The victims were kidnapped last Thursday when armed men invaded Paze community in Byazhin ward.

During the attack, the assailants abducted five residents, including a pastor, and killed Shuaibu Yerima, a member of the local vigilante.

.Sanusi said the police launched a coordinated rescue mission on Tuesday night following intelligence gathered on the whereabouts of the kidnappers.

According to him, the operation was carried out by personnel of the anti-kidnapping unit, the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT), and the Kubwa area command, working alongside local hunters and vigilante groups.

The police commissioner said he personally led the joint security team in an intensive search-and-rescue operation across Paze and neighbouring Byazhin communities at about 9pm on Tuesday.

He said security operatives engaged the suspects in a fierce exchange of gunfire, leading to the death of two gang members, while two others identified as Icheh Mohammadu and Abubakar Usman were arrested.

Sanusi added that several other suspects escaped into nearby hills and surrounding bushes during the confrontation.

“And during the operation, the police team also recovered two AK-47 rifles with magazines, while two of the gang members were arrested during the crossfire,” Sanusi said.

The commissioner said all five kidnapped victims were rescued unharmed and have been taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment before being reunited with their families.

He noted that security forces have sustained search operations across the area and adjoining communities to track down the fleeing suspects and dismantle the criminal network responsible for the attacks.

Sanusi also appealed to members of the public, as well as public and private healthcare providers, to report anyone seeking treatment for gunshot wounds or presenting suspicious injuries.

He said such information could assist ongoing investigations and help security agencies apprehend suspects who escaped during the operation.

The police commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes in the FCT, urging residents to continue supporting security agencies with credible information.