Four persons were killed while 39 others were kidnapped when bandits invaded Kuduru village in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory as well as Garam and Azu communities in neighbouring Niger State.
On December 23, the bandits invaded Garam, which is about five minutes drive from Bwari town, and killed a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and kidnapped 13 other persons.
Similarly, on December 28, bandits invaded Kuduru, which shares a boundary with Garam, and kidnapped 18 persons.
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Also, on December 29, bandits invaded Azu, killing three people and kidnapping eight others.
A resident of Garam, who identified herself as Mrs Juliana, said, “The bandits entered a house, kidnapped two boys who led them to the house of their target. When they got there, they kidnapped the entire family, but while leaving the house, they shot the man (their target), who is a pastor at the RCCG, in the presence of his wife and their three children.”
It was further gathered that when the wife realised that she left her six-month-old baby behind, she asked for permission of the bandits to go and carry the baby, and that she was followed back to the house by the only female among the bandits.
However, when the female bandit ran out of patience, she left the woman, joined her gang and went with the other kidnapped persons.
The FCT Police Command was yet to respond to enquiries about the incidents.