Gunmen raid Abuja estate, hold residents hostage

A group of heavily armed kidnappers invaded Grow Homes Estate in the Chikakore area of Kubwa, Abuja, in the early hours of Monday, holding residents hostage for over an hour.

According to reports from residents, the attack occurred between 12:00am and 1:30am, leaving the community in panic.

One resident confirmed witnessing a man and a woman being abducted. However, by daybreak, the woman was reportedly found within the estate, mysteriously released by the kidnappers. The exact number of abductees remains unclear.

“The incident happened around midnight. Those guys were heavily armed and overpowered the local vigilante group. The police arrived around 1am, and there was a serious gunfight that lasted about 30 minutes,” the resident said.

He also appealed to authorities to improve road access in the area to enable quicker security response, and called on the FCT Administration to establish a police station nearby to enhance safety and emergency response.