…Kidnap 39
By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Four people have been killed and 39 persons were kidnapped when bloodthirsty bandits invaded Kuduru, Bwari Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Garam and Azu, two communities under Niger State.
In a recurring manner, the bloody incidents occurred on Saturday, December 23, 2023, when the bandits invaded Garam community, within Bwari killing a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, while kidnapping 13 other persons.
Again on Thursday, December 28, 2023, bandits invaded Kuduru, which shares a boundary with Garam, and kidnapped 18 persons.
On Friday, December 29, 2023,bandits invaded Azu, killing three people and kidnapping eight others.
A resident of Garam, and a witness one, Mrs. Juliana who narrated the incidents said that the bandits first entered a house, and they asked for the house of their target.
She said, “The bandits entered a wrong house, kidnapped two boys who later 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 Redeemed Christians Church of God, in the presence of his wife and their three children.”
“It was further gathered that when the wife realized that she left her six-month-old baby behind, she asked for permission from the bandits to go carry the baby, and 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 the others and went with the other kidnapped people who were 13 in number.”
The Pastor’s wife, it was gathered, is a teacher in one of the government secondary schools in Bwari.
Another eyewitness said the bandits made their way to the house of a military personnel, asking for his rifle and uniform from the wife.
“The wife told them that her husband is on duty. They, however, kidnapped two of his children.”
The eyewitness added that 13 persons were kidnapped, while a five year old boy of the Redeemed pastor that was killed was abandoned by the bandits at the river side because he couldn’t cross the river.
However, the boy was rescued by a vigilante group who went on the trail of the bandits.
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