Kidnappings: Kabi-Mangoro residents want abandoned police outpost put to use

Following incessant cases of kidnapping and armed robbery on residents of Kabi-Mangoro in Kuje Area Council, the people are calling on the police authorities to, as a matter of urgency, put the abandoned police outpost in the community into use. A resident, Isaac Emmanuel, who spoke with Aso Chronicle, said thepolice outpost, which was built […]

Following incessant cases of kidnapping and armed robbery on residents of Kabi-Mangoro in Kuje Area Council, the people are calling on the police authorities to, as a matter of urgency, put the abandoned police outpost in the community into use.

A resident, Isaac Emmanuel, who spoke with Aso Chronicle, said thepolice outpost, which was built over two years ago, has been abandoned.

He said the need to post police officers to the outpost to provide security for lives and property was urgent due to recurring cases of kidnapping and armed robbery on innocent villagers.

He said gunmen have continued to lay siege on the community at will, maiming and killing  those who are either returning from the market in Kuje or from the farm, a situation which, he said, has continued to create fear and a sense of insecurity in the community.

He said suspected kidnappers often ambushed and abducted residents at gunpoint, demanding huge sums of money in ransom.

“In fact, family members of the kidnapped victims have to sell their farm produce and borrow before they raise money to pay ransom to kidnappers,” he said.

Another resident, Musa Shadrach, said the absence of security personnel in the community has emboldened the criminals into carrying out their attacks at will.

He also said armed robbers, who snatch motorcycles, take advantage of the deplorable state of the road to attack people and snatch their bikes.

He therefore appealed to the police authorities to as a matter of necessity come to the aid of residents of the community by equipping the abandoned police outpost and putting it into use.

“I believe by the time the police outpost is put to use, even the kidnappers or armed robbers will be scared of kidnapping people around this community,” he said.

It will be recalled that gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on December 29, 2019 killed four persons, including a middle aged woman in the community.

Reacting, the spokesman of the FCT police command, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, said the command has already put security measures in the community to tackle cases of armed robbery and other crimes.

He said the command will also look into the state of the police outpost in the community before a decision would be taken on it.