Kidnappers of two teenage sisters in Abuja who demanded N30 million for their release have threatened to kill them if in 48 hours they did not receive any positive feedback.
The girls were kidnapped at Guita community, Chikakore in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Sunday 28 January 2024.
Their abduction occurred a few days after gunmen suspected to be kidnappers killed a nursing mother, Christiana Igba, and her mother, Maria Agbo, after spending two weeks with them in their enclave. The criminals left Christian’s month-old baby unhurt.
The Nation gathered that the gunmen stormed Guita around 11:25pm on Sunday despite the police and military deployments to the area.
According to findings, the gunmen numbering six, whisked away the girls aged 16 and 14 through the forests and hills in the area.
A security source in the area, who confirmed their kidnap to our correspondent yesterday, said the attackers took three of a man’s children, two girls and one boy, but they went away with two girls and sent back the boy from the bush.
Findings said the boy was sent to go and tell their father to prepare N30 million as the ransom.
A source said: “The gunmen changed their approach when they came; they didn’t shoot like before but forced themselves inside. While they were forcing themselves inside, the owner of the house (a Calabar man) ran to the vigilante’s office, then, he ran to the commander’s house before the commander could call another person, and rushed to his house, the gunmen were already gone.
“It was when they were going, they started shooting, unlike before that they would shoot before the operation and till the end.
“They took three of his children, two girls, and one boy, but they went away with two and sent back one (the boy) from the bush that he should go and tell their father to prepare 30 million naira for their ransom.
“When they were taken, the two girls (16 and 14 years), one of the girls was wearing a nightgown, the mother tried to plead with the gunmen to let her wear something for the cold, but instead they beat up the mother. She had no option but to just let the girls go the way they were under the cold.
“Before the police came to the scene, they were already gone. Some of the vigilantes later traced them to the railway line, to the rocks but there was no trace anymore.
“The man that his daughters were kidnapped is a frontliner security payment and he has made several donations to the community.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh were futile as all calls and text messages put across to her were not responded to.
Meanwhile, operatives of the FCT Police Command attached to Asokoro Divisional Headquarters in a coordinated operation rescued two kidnapped victims at about 1 am today Thursday 1 February 2024.
Following the report of the abduction of two persons later identified as Sarah Hassan and Mrs. Erima Bobo-John at Kobi Community of Abuja, in the early hours of today by some armed hoodlums.
Police operatives of Asokoro Divisional Headquarters swung into action and trailed the kidnappers to Nyanya/Keffi road where they were blocked by operatives of the Nigerian Army on checkpoint operations.
A statement issued yesterday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josphine Adeh said: “On sighting the Police operatives, the bandits engaged them in a gun duel and were outlasted by the firepower of the police which forced them to abandon the victims and scampered to safety through the nearby forest. The victims who have been reunited with their families, were rescued unhurt.
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