Shock as FCT Kidnappers Who Recently Abducted 16 Residents Forward Account Numbers for Ransom Payments

Residents of Kungabokun and Paze communities in the Byazhin district on the outskirts of Kubwa, Bwari Area Council, have raised alarm over a new tactic by kidnappers who recently carried out coordinated attacks in the area, abducting at least 16 people.

Following the incidents, the abductors reportedly sent bank account details to families of the victims, directing them to deposit ransom payments, a development that has heightened fear across the affected communities.

The attacks occurred in three separate operations within one week. In Kungabokun, gunmen invaded the home of a retired military captain and abducted his three children. They also stormed a nearby poultry farm, where a security guard was killed and three workers taken.

The attackers further raided a herder’s settlement, abducting two housewives and a teenage girl who had been visiting the family. In neighbouring Paze, the residence of a pastor was targeted, and four of his children were kidnapped during a night raid.

Residents said the gunmen, many of whom wore face masks, operated with heavy weapons and fired shots to repel local vigilantes who attempted to respond.

Security operatives later carried out a joint operation near the boundary between the Federal Capital Territory and Kaduna State, leading to the rescue of several victims. Sources said four suspected kidnappers were killed during the operation, while five rifles—including four AK-47s and a weapon taken from the slain security guard—were recovered.

The rescued victims were taken to a hospital for treatment before being reunited with their families. However, those abducted from the herder’s settlement in Kungabokun remain in captivity.

Families of the remaining victims said the kidnappers initially demanded N40 million but later reduced the amount to N2 million. A resident, Dalha Sulaiman, whose wife and brother’s wife were abducted, said the attackers forced him at gunpoint to lead them to his brother’s house during the raid.

“They pointed a gun at me and threatened to shoot. They took my wife and my brother’s wife,” he said.

Sulaiman added that the kidnappers later sent bank account details and instructed the family to pay the ransom directly. “We are pleading with them to accept N1.5 million,” he said.

Despite the rescue of some victims, fear persists across Kungabokun and Paze, with many residents considering leaving the area over security concerns. A visit to the pastor’s residence in Paze showed the house locked, and neighbours said the family has not returned since the abduction. Bullet holes on nearby structures remain visible, underscoring the scale of the violence. Residents are calling for increased security presence to prevent further attacks.