Bandits have abducted a 16-year-old boy and six young women during a late-night raid on Gidan-Bijimi, a community in Kawu ward of Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The attackers invaded the village around 9:47 p.m. on Wednesday, shooting sporadically as they stormed two homes and whisked away the victims.

Gidan-Bijimi shares a boundary with Marke village near the Kaduna State border, which has witnessed repeated security breaches in recent months.

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Suleiman Shuaibu, a resident of Kawu, confirmed the attack to Daily Trust on Thursday morning, saying the bandits arrived heavily armed with AK-47 rifles.

“The bandits came into the village around 9:47 p.m. and abducted six young girls and a 16-year-old boy. There was panic everywhere as they shot continuously. Some vigilantes tried to confront them but had to retreat because the bandits had superior firepower,” he said.

Shuaibu revealed that the abducted girls are between 17 and 23 years old.

He added that one of the victims is his cousin.

“It was around 9:53 p.m. when we received a distress call from Gidan-Bijimi that bandits had attacked and taken the girls. Unfortunately, my cousin sister is among them,” he said.

The attack forced several residents to flee their homes overnight.

As of the time of filing this report, no contact has been made with the abductors, and the number of those displaced remains unclear.

The latest kidnapping comes barely 48 hours after Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister, ordered security agencies to intensify surveillance across Abuja, particularly around border communities linking the capital to neighbouring states.

Following the minister’s directive, a joint security operation, codenamed Operation Sweep was deployed across strategic locations within the FCT.

The team comprises personnel of the police, Department of State Services (DSS), the military, and other security agencies.

Addressing the operatives during their deployment, Miller Dantawaye, FCT Commissioner of Police, charged them to work collaboratively to eliminate criminal activities across the territory.

He noted that the minister had provided adequate logistics to support the operation and enhance the safety of residents.