Special Operatives of the FCT Police Command, comprising Anti- Kidnapping and Counter-terrorism units have been deployed to comb the forest of Yawuti village in the Kwali area council where 29 persons including children were kidnapped by suspected bandits on Tuesday night.
Nigeriacrime.com learned that as of Wednesday, the Police operatives had commenced the search for the bandit’s hideout in the forest/hilly terrain which is said to be a remote and unmotorable village bordering Nasarawa state.
Senior Police officers speaking on the development disclosed that the Police Command was keeping the strategy of how the kidnapped victims will be rescued a secret so as not to give the kidnappers a hint of Police plans.
One officer stated that the bandits will however not find rest as the police operatives deployed will continue to comb the bush until the whole area is covered.
It was also gathered that the lack of communication between the bandits and any family member of the kidnapped persons or the authorities of Kwali area council which would have helped investigators have an idea of the motive for the kidnapping is also delaying efforts to rescue the victims.
Recall that 29 persons were on Tuesday night kidnapped by gunmen in the Kwali Area Council of the FCT when they stormed the village on Motorcycles, shooting sporadically, after which they raided eight houses and whisked the victims into the bush.
The former Vice Chairman of Kwali Area Council, Alhaji Zubairu Jibrin Yewuti who hails from the town, said that his younger brother, Idris, two of his sister’s in-laws and a child were among the kidnapped victims
Two of the victims, Mrs Zainab Umar and Mrs Aisha Zubairu, reportedly escaped from their abductors while being led into the bush.
Names of other persons reportedly kidnapped include Idris Mohammed, Abdullahi Zubairu, Sani S. Magani, Peter Modu, Ibrahim Mamman, Yellow Abdulrasheed, Musa Suleiman, Simbiya Ishaku, Sumaiya Ibrahim, Muktari Yunusa and Mohammed Yeluwa and Rahmat Shagari.
Others are Sumaiya Abubakar Yelwa, Mohammed Yelwa, Maimuna Muhammad, Hussaini Ya Nda Agyana, Hamza Ibrahim, Lantana Yunusa, Nabila Agyana, Rufai Salihu, Nafisa Aminu, Kasimu Adamu, Abako Adamu, Abdulyakin Aliyu, Lukman Aliyu, Rahina Audu, Abdulrazak Usman, Sadiya Usman, Darius Samuel and Japheth Osu.
As of the time of filing this report, the Public Relations Officer, FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh has not responded to several messages requesting an update on the kidnap saga.