Abuja residents raise alarm over kidnappings

Some residents of Life Camp area of Abuja have raised alarm over increasing cases of kidnapping in the area.

The residents in some estates on adjourning road to Abubakar Koko Avenue where Manreng, Winning Clause, Canaan, Dabo, Lias, Kingstown and Katsina Estates are located said they now return to their houses before 7 pm.

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One of the presidents of the Estates Residents’ Association who pleaded anonymity said two of the victims reside in Katsina Estate.

He said armed men take advantage of a sharp bend and bushes between Dabo and Katsina Estates to waylay residents, and shoot at motorists to force them to stop and kidnap them.

“We have had two cases, one was like a month ago, one of us was kidnapped and he paid ransom before he was released. He was going to his estate at about 11 pm. He saw eight armed men at the bend and they started shooting at him, he stopped and was kidnapped.

“We were in the estate and we heard all the shooting. The second incident was last Tuesday,” he said, adding that the victim did not stop despite being shot at.

“They shot him on the leg and in the back but he still managed to escape and got into his estate but he lost a lot of blood, he was taken to hospital.

“People are afraid, some people after 6 pm do not go out and don’t come in. It has affected many people. All the estate presidents have formed a forum and have a security committee that has been discussing with the police on safety measures,” he said.

He said the nearest police station is the Life Camp Divisional Police headquarters but police outposts within the estates are understaffed.

“The command has deployed police in the night, there are two teams that now patrol the area especially the spot, whether it will be sustained, I do not know,” he said. The FCT police spokesman, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, was unavailable for comments at press time.