A gang of armed men, on Monday, stormed Grow Homes Estate in the Chikakore area of Kubwa, one of the most populated suburbs in Abuja. The attackers reportedly broke through the estate’s rear fence around midnight and held residents hostage for more than an hour.
Eyewitnesses described the moment as chaotic and terrifying, with gunshots ringing out through the night. The armed men, believed to be kidnappers, abducted a man and a woman from the estate during the attack. However, by morning, the woman—identified as Chinyere Joe—was found alive inside the estate. The reasons for her release are still unknown.
According to residents, the vigilante group in the area was overpowered by the gunmen, who carried out the operation swiftly and without fear. “The incident happened around midnight. The assailants were well-armed and overpowered the local vigilance team,” a resident said.
“The police arrived at about 1 a.m., and there was a fierce exchange of gunfire for approximately 30 minutes. We are appealing to the government to repair this road to allow easy access for security patrol vehicles. We also urge the police and the FCT Administration to establish a station here for rapid response,” the same resident added.
FCT Police Command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident and shared that the police received a distress call from their officers posted at the estate’s entrance. Officers quickly moved in to counter the attackers.
“Upon swift deployment to the scene, it was discovered that the attackers had breached the estate through the rear perimeter fence and forcefully abducted two victims,” Adeh said.
She noted that the police engaged the criminals in a 40-minute shootout, which led to the rescue of the woman. Unfortunately, the kidnappers escaped with the male victim.
Efforts to locate and rescue the second victim are ongoing. The police’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, along with soldiers and other security forces, have launched a search operation to track the fleeing suspects.
This attack comes just days after a similar kidnapping incident occurred at Efab Global Estate, located in the Idu Industrial Area of Abuja.
