Insecurity: 179 residents affected, N217m lost in FCT in 20 months
Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, is facing an increase in insecurity, prompting growing concerns among residents and the authorities. The capital city, once considered relatively immune to the security challenges prevalent in other parts of the country, is now grappling with an escalating wave of criminal activities, particularly “one-chance” robbery and abductions. According to a 2020 […]
Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, is facing an increase in insecurity, prompting growing concerns among residents and the authorities.
The capital city, once considered relatively immune to the security challenges prevalent in other parts of the country, is now grappling with an escalating wave of criminal activities, particularly “one-chance” robbery and abductions.
According to a 2020 report by SB Morgen, Abuja was ranked 11th among locations with frequent cases of “one-chance” robbery and abductions, a stark revelation of the evolving security landscape in the territory.
Over the last year, from January 2024 to the present day, the capital city has witnessed reported cases of “one-chance” robbery, ritual attacks and abductions involving not less than 179 individuals, especially in the satellite towns of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The severity of the situation became more apparent when examining data from January 2024, which revealed approximately 35 recorded cases, with a staggering 179 victims. Between January 2024 and today, there have been over 16 reported cases of “one-chance” robbery and abduction.
These incidents are not isolated to specific areas but have occurred in various locations, including Banex junction, CBN junction, airport road, Central Area, Garki, Nicon Luxury junction, Kubwa expressway, Mabushi and several isolated areas; as well as satellite towns, such as Zuba, and the Gwagwalada-Lokoja highway.
What is particularly concerning is that these incidents seem to occur unchallenged by security agencies, allowing criminal elements to operate with impunity.
Weekend Trust has identified some of the crime incidents that occurred between January 2024 till date:
January 1, 2024: Three people were abducted in Barangoni in the Bwari central ward of Bwari Area Council by suspected bandits.
January 5, 2024: Seven family members, a father and his six daughters, were abducted in Zuma 1 in Bwari Area Council by bandits.
January 7, 2024: Eight people were abducted in Sagwari Layout Estate on the Dutse axis of Bwari Area Council, also by bandits.
January 10, 2024: 23 people were abducted in Kawu community in Bwari Area Council.
January 17, 2024: Mr. Segun Akinyemi, who was abducted in Area 3, Garki in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), was rescued the next day.
January 18, 2024: The wife and mother-in-law of Cyril Adikwu, a lawyer, were abducted by bandits at Hilltop Phase 2 Extension, Army Post Housing Scheme in AMAC.
anuary 20, 2024: A civil servant, Sabo Abdullahi, was abducted after closing from work while driving home along Sabon-Lugbe in AMAC.
January 28, 2024: Two sisters – Success Adeola and Ophray Adeola – were abducted by bandits at Guita community, Byazhin ward of Bwari Area Council.
January 29, 2024: Five people were abducted in Gbau-Zakwoyiyako village in the Gaube ward of Kuje Area Council.
February 10, 2024: A director of the Federal Housing Authority, Lugbe, Mr Aondo Ver, was abducted in Pamabara community in Bwari Area Council.
March 10, 2024: Dr Chammah McSampson was abducted in Jabi, AMAC by “one-chance” robbers.
February 25, 2024: Two-year-old Nkem Odafe was abducted along the airport road, Abuja.
April 4, 2024: Four people were abducted by bandits in Bwari town.
April 11, 2024: 16 passengers were abducted near Chikara village, along the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
April 29, 2024: A pastor and three other people were abducted by bandits in Bmuko community near the Dutse Baupma axis in Bwari Area Council.
May 5, 2024: The wife of a customs officer, his three children and a brother were abducted by bandits in Piko village in Bwari Area Council.
May 19, 2024: 20 people were abducted at Shagari Quarters in Dei-Dei, Bwari Area Council.
May 19, 2024: Imam Ahmed Al-Amin and one other person were abducted by bandits in Dawaki Estate.
June 3, 2024: A resident was abducted in Dakwa community in Bwari Area Council.
June 12, 2024: Mr Nart Ojadi and Evelyn Chinaza were rescued after being abducted in El-Rufai Estate, Kuchikwo Resettlement Development Area in AMAC.
June 30, 2024: Six people – Mohammed Ndatsu Bako, a pastor, Husaina, Amina and two others – were abducted at their residence in Gwagwa, AMAC.
June 15, 2024: Three people, Ali Shehu, Manu Namang and Yusuf Shehu were rescued after being abducted by bandits in Guto community in Bwari Area Council.
July 15, 2024: A mother and her child were abducted by bandits in Yangoji community in Kwali Area Council.
July 29, 2024: Alhaji Shehu Dan Fulani, a businessman, was abducted by bandits in Awawa village in Kwali Area Council.
July 22, 2024: An aide to a House of Representatives member, Ni’ima Suleiman, was abducted at her residence in Zone A, Ushafa in Bwari Area Council by bandits.
October 17, 2024: A timber contractor and two others were abducted by bandits at Tipper Garage in Mpape, Bwari Area Council.
October 31, 2024: Dr Adekunle Rauf Adeniji, a director of administration (APC), and his four family members were abducted by gunmen at Banex junction, Wuse III, Abuja in AMAC.
January 27, 2025: A Veritas University student, Cornelius Damulak, was abducted but he escaped from the kidnappers’ den in Bwari Area Council.
January 2, 2025: Two natives of Gwargwafa community, Mohammed Danladi, Nasiru Yusuf and a herder were abducted and later killed after delay in ransom payment at Gwombe junction in Kuje Area Council.
February 3, 2025: A 25-year-old woman, Promise Ezeh from Ebonyi State was rescued from a suspected ritualist in a hotel room in Abuja.
March 27, 2025: Mr Johnson John, a Boys’ Brigade camper, was killed by suspected herders in Zhydna community near Unguwar Hakimi in Orozo, AMAC.
February 17, 2025: The national president of the Afenifere Youth Council, Eniola Ojajuni, was abducted by gunmen along Nicon junction, Abuja.
March 2, 2025: A village chief, Etsu Yusda, his two grandchildren and five others were abducted by bandits in Dnako village in Bwari Area Council.
March 11, 2025: Chief Superintendent of Police Modestus Ojiebe was rescued after his abduction by suspected bandits along the Dei-Dei, Abuja expressway.
May 12, 2025: Two villagers were abducted in Huni-Gwari near Darka in Kuje Area Council by bandits who invaded the community.
May 26, 2024: Two people were also abducted by bandits who invaded Grow Home Estate, Chikakore, near Kubwa in Bwari Area Council.
June 6, 2025: Two herders and a driver were abducted in Daku village in Gwagwalada Area Council while returning from Izom market in Niger State.
June 18, 2025: A lady identified as Aldi Johnson was found strangled to death in an Abuja hotel located at 3rd Avenue, Gwarimpa. She was said to have checked into the hotel with a man suspected of being a ritual killer.
June 23, 2025: A 13-year-old child identified as Chisom escaped from his abductors at FO1, Kubwa in Bwari Area Council.
July 7, 2025: Residents Fati Omale and Zainab Ibrahim were abducted in Aco Mbawpe community in AMAC.
July 8, 2025: Miss Freda Arnong, a staff member of the Ghanaian High Commission in Nigeria, lost her life after an encounter with “one-chance” robbers when she boarded a taxi at Transcorp junction.
July 12, 2025: The lifeless body of an unidentified woman was found on Abubakar Street, off Alex Ekwueme Street in Abuja.
In response to these security threats, the FCT police command has deployed resources to address the dire situation. However, the continued incidents and challenges faced by security agencies raise questions about the effectiveness of current measures.
Abuja residents are navigating a complex landscape of emotions, practical considerations and community-driven responses.
The collective resilience and determination to address the root causes of insecurity reflect the community’s commitment to restoring safety and stability in both the Abuja city centre and its suburbs.
The economic toll of this rising insecurity is substantial, with confirmed ransom payments totaling N217 million from January 2024 till date.
Victims speaks
Residents and businesses in the affected areas are bearing the brunt of these challenges; and the impact on daily lives and economic activities is becoming increasingly pronounced. For example, recent personal accounts such as that of Surajudeen Olasinde, a public servant, shed light on the personal traumas experienced by residents.
Olasinde narrated the abduction of his wife, Mistura and his two daughters, Hauwa and Fatima around Galadimawa district.
He said the kidnappers demanded an exorbitant N100 million ransom, highlighting the audacity of criminal elements operating within the city.
Another resident, Mr Adekunle Akanbi, recalled how two of his relatives were abducted by “one-chance” robbers on their way back to Kuje after work.
He said the victims were traumatised by the abduction after their abductors demanded a N12 million ransom. The family had to sell some properties to raise N6 million before they were released after three weeks in the kidnappers’ den.
“That was a sad day I will never forget. Two of my relatives boarded a taxi coming to Kuje, and unknown to them, they were abducted until a ransom of N6 million was raised before they were released sometime last year. It was a horrifying experience that I cannot forget,” he said.
Mr Abimbola Aina, another resident of Dutse Makaranta in Bwari Area Council, also narrated how he and two of his sons were abducted by bandits early this year at his residence. He said he and his sons were asleep when the bandits invaded their home and whisked them away at gunpoint. They were held captive for two weeks before his relatives from Ekiti State were able to raise a N9 million ransom for their freedom.
“My two sons and I stayed in the kidnappers’ den for two weeks until some of our relatives from Ekiti State struggled to source for N9 million before we were later freed,” he said.
He said the kidnappers, masquerading as herdsmen, infiltrated the compound and also took away three tenants, including a woman. He said the tenants were later freed after he and his sons first regained freedom.
Another dire reality persisted with incidents like the invasion of Garam community, located just a few minutes’ away from Bwari town, which resulted in the tragic killing of a pastor and the abduction of 13 residents.
Weekend Trust further recalls that subsequent attacks, especially in early January 2025, such as the one in Kuduru in the FCT, led to the kidnapping of 18 residents. As the community grapples with an unabated surge in abductions, concerns also mount regarding the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts to curb these criminal activities.
Residents, expert suggest ways forward
Some residents who spoke to Weekend Trust appealed to the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, to pay more attention to the security situation in the country’s capital.
To Ahmadu Abiola, a resident of Garki 2, the minister’s decision to set up a committee that will sanitise some areas believed to be hideouts for the criminals is commendable. He, however, advised the committee to focus on its core duty rather than concentrate on demolishing innocent people’s properties.
“Honestly, the minister is doing well in the area of security but more need to be done, especially in the areas of ‘one chance’ robbery, ritual killing and armed robbery, which are now rampant, not only in satellite towns but at the city centre,’’ he said.
A security expert, Mr Kingsley Ajayi, a retired lecturer from the University of Abuja, attributed the upsurge in crimes, such as kidnapping, car snatching and “one-chance” robbery to lack of CCTV camera installation at various black spots within the city centre and in estates.
He believes that installing CCTV cameras would help tackle crime cases in the FCT.
“I believe that if the government wants to tackle the menace of crime in Abuja, there should be CCTV cameras at various black spots, including estates. This will check cases of crime, especially ‘one-chance’ and car snatching incidents,” he said.
Ajayi added that while the current FCT administration under the leadership of Nyesom Wike has tried to provide viable security equipment to operatives, installing CCTV cameras should be given utmost priority to combat “one-chance” and car snatching incidents.
“That is the major challenge residents of Abuja are facing. However, cases of kidnapping are gradually reducing,” he said.
A retired director in the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) who preferred to remain anonymous noted that some of those who commit crimes such as “one-chance” robbery and car snatching are criminals from other parts of the country who connive with individuals within the FCT.
“What I have observed is that most of these crimes are perpetrated by individuals who are not residing within the FCT. These criminals have informants in the FCT who they always connive with to commit such crimes.
“What the relevant security agencies need to do more is intelligence gathering and installation of CCTV cameras at various crime-prone areas within the FCT. I can say that kidnapping incidents have been reduced to some barest minimum, but the government still needs to empower security agencies with more gadgets because Abuja is the heart of the country,” he said.
FCTA begins clearance of criminal hideouts
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has begun the clearance of all illegal settlements, especially shanties harbouring criminals and preventing developmental projects in the Federal Capital City.
The FCT police commissioner, Ajao Saka Adewale had, while briefing journalists after the FCT security meeting in Abuja recently, said some criminal hideouts had been identified and scheduled for clearance.
He said Minister Wike had approved the setting up of a special taskforce on city sanitation that would ensure the clearance of such areas.
The Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, described security threats in parts of Durumi District, particularly Area 1 in Garki District, as worrisome, saying, “High level criminal activities, such as robbery, carjacking, drug peddling and other heinous crimes, with its attendant security implications to law abiding FCT residents, cannot be allowed to continue.”
He noted in a statement that in his bid to ensure a safer FCT, Wike set up a stakeholders committee, comprising heads of security agencies, FCTA officials, civil society organisations, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and others. He added that it was identified at the committee meeting that some of the identified areas had become operational bases for criminals, especially kidnappers, drug peddlers and “one chance” operators.
He said, “Three months ago, when security agencies carried out an operation in Area 1, Durumi, over 120 miscreants were arrested. Among those arrested in the operation that lasted over three hours were drug peddlers, “one chance” operators, carjackers and armed robbers.
“Seven vehicles and 79 stolen motorcycles were recovered, while 155 ATM cards were recovered. These ATM cards were snatched from victims of “one chance” operators, using the settlement as their base.
‘’Some of the shanties in Area 1, Durumi were cleared. But today, the shanties are back and the criminals have regrouped, making the area unhabitable for law-abiding Nigerians.
“Also, these shanties and makeshift houses are built on lands allocated more than 20 years ago, but the illegal settlers and criminals who have turned the area to their abode have made it impossible for the allottees to make use of their lands,’’ he said.
Cross border crimes threatening Abuja, neighbouring states – Wike
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has called for the adoption of modern crime-fighting techniques by the FCT and neighbouring states to combat cross-border crimes.
Wike made the call at the 10th G-7 Security Summit organised by the FCT Administration in Abuja on Wednesday with a view to enhancing security in the FCT and its contiguous States.
He said such crimes is already threatening Abuja and it’s neighbouring states.
Represented by the Head of Service, FCTA, Mrs. Grace Adayilo, Wike noted that criminal elements have adapted and exploited technological advancement to further their illicit activities in a rapidly evolving world, and highlighted the need for a dynamic approach, including synergy and joint operations, among other strategies to overcome the exploits of criminally minded individuals.
He called on the G-7 Technical Committee to devise “the most adaptable strategies in combating cross-border crime and criminality” to ensure the safety and security of the nation’s capital and surrounding states.
The Minister said, “It is important that our security agencies have access to modern techniques and strategies among which is a joint operation strategy to effectively curtail the forays of criminal elements at all levels”.
“I therefore charge the members of the Technical Committee of the G-7 States to put on their thinking cap and come up with most adaptable strategies in combating cross-border crimes and criminality and deploy same for the safety and the security of the seat of government of the federal republic of Nigeria and the States contiguous to the FCT”, the Minister stated.
While appreciating the tireless efforts of security personnel, Barr. Wike acknowledged their bravery and sacrifice and pledged the commitment of government to empowering security agencies with the necessary tools to protect lives and property and maintain law and order.
Speaking earlier, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, said the G-7 security summit was conceived with the vision of tackling cross border crimes in all its manifestations, including the challenges of kidnapping, banditry, car snatching, human trafficking within the FCT and its contiguous States.
He noted that the criminal activities transcends boundaries and demand joint coordinated responses, collective vigilance and intelligence sharing, expressing confidence that deliberations at the summit will produce actionable recommendations that will further strengthen the G-7 as a formidable security body.