Gunmen suspected of being bandits have killed two people and kidnapped 22 others in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
The gunmen, reported in the dozens, raided farms in Rafin Daji, a farming community in Abaji Area Council where men, women and children were taken to their farmland for the day.
The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday, but was not reported until confirmed by police on Friday.
Rafin Daji is a border community between the FCT and the Lapai Local Government Area in Niger State.
Thirteen members of a family were among the 22 people kidnapped by the suspected bandits who also burned two tractors belonging to the owner of a large farm in the area during their operation.
“We have confirmed that 22 people were kidnapped from different farms in the Rafin Daji area of Abaji, and the kidnappers are Fulani herdsmen. When they spoke to a relative on the phone this morning using the phone of one of the kidnapped victims, they asked us to pay the sum of N12 million for the release of the 22 victims.” said a relative of the victims, Ibrahim Barde.
Police confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, adding that none of the victims had been rescued.
“The farmers were working on their farmland when the armed men outnumbered them and kidnapped them,” acting FCT Police Command spokesman Oduniyi Omotayo said in a text message to PREMIUM on Saturday morning. TIMES.
Mr. Omotayo added that so far no one has been rescued, but the search for the hostages continues.
“Upon receiving the tip, a combined team of police officers from various Command tactical and intelligence units, Destiny Hunters, Vigilantes and Local hunters stormed the forest, aggressively combing it even as I speak. For the rescue of the victims and to bring the perpetrators to the book. Community monitoring and surveillance also continues,” he said.
Aside from Kuje, where several kidnappings have occurred in the past, communities within Abaji have recently been the target of a series of attacks and kidnappings.