Gunmen launched another violent attack in the early hours of Monday at Grow Homes Estate in Chikakore, a community on the outskirts of Kubwa, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), abducting a businessman and briefly seizing a housewife who was later released.
The latest incident comes just two days after a similar attack at Efab Global Estate in Idu District, also within the FCT, raising growing concerns about the rising insecurity in Abuja’s satellite communities.
Grow Homes Estate, situated in the Bwari Area Council about 30km from the Abuja city center, has recorded multiple attacks this year.
In January, about 20 kidnappers invaded a residence, abducting five individuals, including a senior member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who was later killed in captivity.
Monday’s attack occurred around 1am and lasted about an hour.
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Eyewitnesses say the assailants broke into at least three compounds. In one of the houses, they dismantled barbed wire atop the fence and smashed a window to gain access, abducting a businessman in the presence of his family.
His wife, initially taken alongside him, was released shortly after pleading with the kidnappers that she was unable to continue the trek.
A relative of the victim, who requested anonymity, confirmed the attackers targeted the house deliberately and quickly left with the businessman after gaining entry.
Other residents described how they took cover during the assault. One man recounted how he and his brother hid in separate areas of their home while observing the attackers move between houses.
The invaders reportedly tried to force their way through a front door before opting to break through a window.
A security guard on duty attempted to repel the attackers by firing shots from a distance. However, the gunmen responded with gunfire and forced the guard to retreat.
The attack ended with the arrival of a police patrol vehicle, whose siren prompted the kidnappers to flee.
Following the incident, ongoing construction and block-making operations within the estate have been suspended.
Workers and residents were seen gathered in groups, discussing the traumatic event.
This is not the first time the estate has suffered such violence. Two previous attacks in the area led to the abduction of over 24 people and the death of one resident.
Locals believe the attackers now access the estate through a fence near the railway line, after hunters were previously stationed along another section of the estate’s perimeter.
The FCT Police Command, in a statement by spokesperson Josephine Adeh, confirmed the attack and the partial success of the response.
“At about 1am on Monday, 26th May 2025, police received a distress call from officers near Grow Homes Estate in Kuchibuyi village, Byazhin, reporting an armed attack,” Adeh said.
“Police deployed swiftly, engaging the attackers in a gunfight for about 40 minutes. One victim, identified as Chinyere Joe, was rescued. However, the second victim remains in captivity.”
She added that the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, in collaboration with the military and other security agencies, has launched a manhunt to track down the suspects and secure the remaining victim’s release.
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