Swift police action foils bandit raid on abuja communities
Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have thwarted a planned kidnapping and armed attack by suspected bandits in Byazhin Forest, a suburb of Abuja. The operation led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle and 30 rounds of live ammunition.
According to the police, the successful operation was part of intensified efforts to curb the resurgence of banditry and kidnapping across FCT border communities, particularly in Bwari, Kuje, and Gwagwalada, where joint security patrols have been strengthened.
In a statement on Tuesday, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said the operation followed credible intelligence from the Force Headquarters’ Technical Intelligence Unit, which revealed that a notorious bandit leader, identified as Idrisa, also known as “Mai Duna,” had planned simultaneous attacks on villages around the Byazhin forest area.
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“Acting swiftly on the intelligence, on October 10, 2025, around 9:00 p.m., the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit deployed tactical teams to ambush the suspected bandits along their routes,” the statement read.
At about 1:00 a.m. on October 11, police operatives intercepted two groups of armed men advancing toward the target areas. A fierce gun duel ensued, lasting around twenty minutes, before the bandits were overpowered and forced to retreat into the forest with gunshot wounds. Reinforcement teams from nearby police and military formations were immediately dispatched.
A search of the area led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle with a defaced serial number, one magazine, and thirty rounds of 7.6mm live ammunition.
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The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, commended the operatives for their bravery and prompt response, noting that their action prevented what could have been a major security breach in the nation’s capital.
He also directed all medical facilities within the FCT and neighbouring states to report anyone found with gunshot wounds to the nearest police station.
The FCT, which hosts Nigeria’s seat of government, has witnessed growing security threats from bandit groups operating from forested border areas. In response, the FCT Police Command, in partnership with the military and local vigilante groups, has intensified joint operations to dismantle criminal hideouts along the Abuja–Niger State axis.
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