BREAKING NEWS: Gunmen abduct two residents in Abuja estate invasion

 Two residents were abducted by gunmen on Monday during an attack at the Grow Homes Estate in the Chikakore area of Kubwa, within the Federal Capital Territory.

Residents said the attackers struck around 1 a.m., with gunshots ringing out for hours before police officers arrived at the scene.

A resident told our correspondent that the gunmen initially kidnapped two people, a man and a woman but later released the woman.

The source who refused to mention his name for security reasons said, “The gunmen came around 1 a.m. and all we heard were gunshots. The police and members of the vigilante group later arrived and engaged them. They took away two residents, a man and a woman. However, they released the woman and took the man. The woman is back home as I speak to you.”

The spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident but claimed the freed woman was a result of an intense gun battle with the armed men.

Adeh said efforts were ongoing to rescue the remaining victim. She said, “The FCT Police Command, on Monday, at about 01:00AM, received a distress call from police officers stationed in front of Grow Homes Estate, Kuchibuyi village in Byazhin, reporting an attack by armed assailants and requesting reinforcement.

“Upon swift deployment to the scene, it was discovered that the armed attackers had breached the estate through the rear perimeter fence and forcefully abducted two victims.

“The responding police officers exchanged gunfire with the attackers for about 40 minutes and rescued one of the victims, identified as Chinyere Joe. Unfortunately, the attackers escaped with the second victim.

“The command’s Anti-Kidnapping unit in collaboration with the army and other security operatives has since launched an operation to track down the fleeing suspects and ensure the safe rescue of the remaining abducted victim.”

This incident comes just days after a similar attack on Efab Global Estate in the Idu Industrial Area of Abuja last Wednesday.