Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have killed at least three bandits allegedly planning a large-scale attack on communities within Abuja.
The Command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, disclosed the development in a statement on Monday, revealing that the criminals were neutralized during a fierce gun duel triggered by credible intelligence.
According to Adeh, the operation followed recent kidnapping incidents in ACO Community, Gwagwalada, and Bwari, where bandits had attacked unsuspecting residents. In response, the FCT Commissioner of Police ordered the Anti-Kidnapping Unit to intensify efforts to dismantle the gang behind the rising cases.
Intelligence later showed that the criminal syndicate was preparing to launch another coordinated attack “on or before December 1, 2025,” with plans to kidnap residents of a yet-to-be-identified community.
Acting swiftly, operatives on Sunday arrested a key conspirator, Sani Mohammed Umar, popularly known as Boko, a wanted kidnapper and armed robbery suspect. His mobile phone, believed to be the central device used for coordinating the gang's operations, was recovered. Preliminary investigations linked him to multiple attacks across the FCT.
Adeh explained that following the arrest, the police advanced into a forest believed to be the gang’s meeting point and laid a strategic ambush.
“On sighting the operatives, the heavily armed bandits opened fire. The police responded decisively, engaging the criminals in a fierce 30-minute gun battle during which three of the bandits were neutralized, while others fled with gunshot wounds,” she said.
Recovered items include:
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Three AK-47 rifles
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Three magazines
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Thirty-three rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition
The FCT Police Command assured residents that it remains committed to flushing out criminal elements and preventing further attacks across the territory.