Bandits Invade FCT Border Community, Kidnap Pregnant Woman, Four Others

Bandits had struck Garam, a community in Niger State bordering the Bwari area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), abducting a pregnant woman and four others over the weekend.

The attack ended a four-month period of relative peace in Garam, which had previously suffered multiple bandit attacks from December 2023 to February this year. During that period, numerous residents were kidnapped, causing widespread fear and disruption.

According to a local resident, the bandits infiltrated the community through a bush path around 3 a.m. yesterday, targeting specific houses without alerting nearby security personnel. Unlike previous attacks, they refrained from firing their weapons.

“We learnt that they came at 3:00 a.m. They kidnapped five people, including a pregnant woman with her child and husband. They forced their way into the building by breaking the door open. They came silently without shooting any guns like they used to do,” the resident reported.

The abducted pregnant woman, her husband, and their son are of the Nupe ethnic group. Additionally, the bandits kidnapped a newly arrived Hausa man and another child.

Local authorities are yet to release an official statement, but residents are urging for increased security measures to prevent further incidents.