From Fred Itua, Abuja
About 40 gunmen suspected to be bandits, on Thursday, stormed Kawu community in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and abducted 23 people.
The community shares boundaries with two states, Niger and Kaduna.
The Councilor representing the area, Abdulmumini Zakari, who doubles as the deputy speaker in the council, said the bandits arrived in the community on Wednesday from the Kuyeri Forest in Kaduna State.
Zakari said: “They divided themselves into groups and some went into the palace of the district head, Alhaji Abdurrahman Danjuma Ali, where they abducted his son, Lukman, and his wife, who he married two weeks ago.
“Others attacked the compound of Alhaji Alhassan Sidi Kawu, the Marafa of Kawu and a former PDP Chairman of Kawu Ward. They abducted him along with his four children.”
He said the bandits also went into the compound of Sarkin Pawan Kawu, Gambo S Pawa, and abducted him alongside his two wives and some children.
Commissioner of Police, FCT, Haruna Garba during the week, described as exaggerated, misleading and mischievious, reports making the rounds in the FCT alleging the over 200 persons were kidnapped by bandits beteeen December last year and January this year.
He claimed that the reports were aimed at creating panic among Abuja residents.
In the last two weeks, over 50 people have been kidnapped in Bwari Area Council alone. The abduction of last Thursday is the latest development.