Bandits kill vigilante, abduct pastor, three others in Abuja

Suspected bandits on Thursday attacked Paze community in the Byazhin area of Kubwa, Abuja, killing a local vigilante and abducting four residents, including a pastor and an 11-year-old boy.

The attackers, said to be about eight in number, shot dead security guard Shuaibu Yerima during the midnight raid before abducting Pastor Francis Oriade of All Christian Fellowship Mission (ACFM), Jewel Obeh, Friday Isaac, and Delight Okeke.

Residents said the gunmen broke into homes through windows after firing gunshots that alerted the community to their presence. Family members of the victims recounted how the assailants tied residents, seized phones and cash, and forcefully took their loved ones away.

The attack comes less than a week after bandits reportedly kidnapped a resident in the nearby Kungabokun community, raising fresh concerns over insecurity in the area.

Residents said the slain vigilante was initially shot in the leg but later died from excessive bleeding due to delays in receiving medical attention. He was buried on Thursday following funeral prayers.

The spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, said she would verify the incident, while a senior officer at the Byazhin Police Division confirmed the attack and said security operatives had launched efforts to rescue the victims and apprehend the kidnappers.