Abuja villagers flee as bandits kill 1, steal motorcycles

Residents of Adagba community in Yaba ward of Abaji Area Council of the FCT have fled their homes after bandits went on a rampage, killing a 23-year-old man, Nura Mai Gyada, and stealing 36 motorcycles. The bandits were said to have also abducted seven residents of the community among who are Aisha Lawal, Mustapha Lawal, […]

Residents of Adagba community in Yaba ward of Abaji Area Council of the FCT have fled their homes after bandits went on a rampage, killing a 23-year-old man, Nura Mai Gyada, and stealing 36 motorcycles.

The bandits were said to have also abducted seven residents of the community among who are Aisha Lawal, Mustapha Lawal, Ali Patchi, Idris Bala and Jamilu Yahaya.

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Daily Trust report that the attack came barely a week after bandits invaded the community and abducted a shopkeeper seller, Chinedu Arinze, and carted foodstuff from the shop.

A resident of Adagba, Garba Shehu, while speaking with our reporter, said the bandits numbering over 100 with sophisticated weapons invaded the community around 9 pm on Saturday, divided themselves into groups, moved from house to house while shooting into the air and made away with motorcycles, other valuables and cash.

Our reporter who visited the community on Sunday at about 9 am saw villagers in their numbers moving out of the community carrying luggage on their heads.

The Madaki of Adagba, Adamu Wambai, who spoke with our reporter, said the entire community was terrified due to the gunshots.

He said, “In fact, it was God that saved two of my children as they almost drowned while crossing the River Gurara to escape. My family and I slept inside the forest till this morning before we came back home.”

The vice-chairman of Abaji Area Council, a native of Adagba, Abubakar Abdullahi, said the bandits also tried to whisk away his father but that he was spared after the bandits discovered he could not walk due to age.

“They (bandits) went away with my cousin (brother) and later released him after they asked him to show them the road to Kapako village in Niger State.

Commenting on the attack, the Etsu Yaba, His Royal Highness (HRH), Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, expressed shock and sadness.

Alhaji Abdullahi said his chiefdom was prone to bandits’ attacks because it shared borders with Niger State.

He said he always raised the issue at security meetings with the FCT minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, on the need to establish a military base in the area in order to checkmate any form of crime.

He expressed concern over the mass exit of people from Adagba community to neighbouring villages, even as he said the attacks might also hamper farming activities in his chiefdom.

The spokesperson of the FCT police command, DSP Adeh Josephine, could not be reached via her mobile phone and did not reply to an SMS on the issue.