officer shot dead as police foil kidnap of FCT council chair’s family

Bandits have shot dead a police officer whose identity is yet to be ascertained.

The office was killed when police foiled the abduction of family members of the incumbent chairman of Bwari area council, John Gabaya.

Bandits had invaded Gabwa’s residence at his Tokulo community in the area council, on Sunday.

Before that incident, bandits abducted the council chairman’s father, John Makama, alongside two family members, in 2021.

They regained freedom after an undisclosed ransom was paid to the bandits as ransom.

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An aide to the council chairman told Daily Trust that the armed gang returned to the community at about 11:33 pm, on Sunday,.

He said the bandits who invaded Tokulo community through Kaduna forest wielded AK-47 rifles and engaged the vigilantes guarding the chairman’s private residence in a fierce gun battle.

He said during the gunfire exchange, the police team from Bwari division was alerted and they stormed the community immediately.

According to him, one of the police officers  was killed during cross fire, but the police officers repelled the attack.

He said the attack on the family of the council chairman by bandits was the third time between February 2021 and April, 6, 2024.

“And if you can recall, the bandits attacked the chairman’s community on February,2 2021, after which they returned again, on February, this year and launched another attack but were resisted through efforts of the security operatives, while on Sunday, April, this year, the bandits struck again and were repelled again,” he said.

FCT police command spokesperson, SP Adeh Josephine, confirmed the latest attack on Tokulo community.

She said some unknown hoodlums armed with other offensive weapons, stormed Tokulo village in the early hours of Sunday, in an attempt to kidnap the family of the council chairman of Bwari area council.

“But unfortunately, the police team came on time to engage the kidnappers in a bloody gun duel and foiled the abduction, in which one of the policemen was killed during the exchange of gun shot,” she said.

According to her, one of the kidnappers too was shot dead during the crossfire with the police, saying the council chairman’s family were later evacuated into the police vehicle from the community to an unknown location.