A man identified as Benjamin Ogundare has been killed by suspected gunmen who invaded and attacked Ushafa community in Bwari Area Council, Abuja.
The assailants who invaded the area and were shooting for over 30 minutes without interruption from any security agency also abducted his family members.
NigeriaCrime.com learned that the incident occurred on Wednesday morning at about 1 am, behind the LGEA Primary School Ushafa, close to the popular Going-Park.
According to a community leader in the community who spoke on the condition of anonymity, “the deceased, was said to have struggled with the gun-wielding kidnappers before he was gunned down.”
The attackers whisked away the wife and a cousin to an unknown destination.
Confirming the incident, FCT Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Josephine Adeh said, “On Wednesday, January 11, around 6 am, the Police Control Room received a distress call that armed hoodlums stormed Ushafa village via the Bwari area council of the FCT.
“The information was relayed to the Bwari divisional police headquarters and other security apparatus of the command around the area mobilised tactical and intelligence assets to the scene.
“Upon sighting the officers, the hoodlums took to their heels having shot one Benjamin Ogundare and abducted the duo of Goodluck Ogundare and Janet Ogundare.
“The victim was rushed to a hospital where he was confirmed dead by a doctor on call. Aggressive hunt and rescue mission has been launched on the tails of the hoodlums, while the investigation continues.”
In a related development, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Pankshin Division in the Pankshin local government area of Plateau state was kidnapped a few days after he resumed work at the Division.
The name nor rank of the said officer could not be ascertained at the time of this report and the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Alfred Alabo, was not available to shed light on the development.
However, a resident of Pankshin said that kidnapping has been rife in the local community in recent times and everyone lives in fear.
According to him, “The incident happened close to our house, as we just ended our night prayers with my family, we heard gunshots, we tried to find out what was happening and we learned that some armed men went to Woktori hotel. It was this morning that we got to know that it was the kidnappers that kidnapped the newly posted DPO in Pankshin. We learnt that the man just came and was lodged in the hotel when they came to kidnap him.
“There has been a spike in the incidents of kidnapping recently. Some business people with fancy houses have been targeted, they would be kidnapped, they will pay the ransom, and be released. One was even killed. The staff of the federal government institution here is not spared. Virtually every week, you will hear of one incident, once they know you are rich, they will come to the house.
Everyone is living in fear even this night between 7 and 8 pm, there were still gunshots but we don’t know where or what it is. It is becoming rampant and we are getting used to it. By tomorrow we will hear what caused it. The DPO is very new, we don’t know him because he just resumed duty.”