Army, Police, DSS Eliminate Notorious Bandit Leader, 3 Others, Rescue FCTA Staff
A joint operation by the Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police, and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) has successfully rescued a kidnapped civil servant and neutralised a notorious bandit leader in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), PRNigeria reports.
Sources confirmed that the operation targeted Abdullahi Umar, popularly known as “Duna,” following a series of violent incidents by his gang. These included the killing of a vigilante member at Kpobi Village, Guzape, on September 15, the abduction of two young women in Kpaduma 3 Village, and the kidnapping of a senior FCTA staff in Karu.
According to Zagazola, on September 15 at around 9:15 p.m., the gang ambushed vigilantes at a checkpoint along Kpobi Village road, wounding two, including Mr. Bako Pwaza, who later died at the National Hospital, Abuja.
Two days later, at about 10:32 p.m. on September 17, the gang blocked a road along the Bristol Academy axis in Karu and abducted Mr. Nafiu Idris, a Town Planning Officer with the Department of Urban Affairs, FCTA.
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Acting on credible intelligence, the combined security team traced the bandits’ hideout to Zinda Forest/Hills behind Nigerian Army Estate, Kurudu, bordering Nasarawa State. At approximately 7:30 a.m. on September 18, the gang engaged security operatives in a fierce gun battle.
Three bandits were neutralised, including their wanted leader “Duna,” who had masterminded multiple high-profile kidnappings and violent attacks across Karu, Guzape, Kpaduma, Kurudu, and parts of Nasarawa State.
Mr. Idris, who had been held hostage with a ₦150 million ransom demand, was rescued unhurt and taken to Karu General Hospital for medical examination before being reunited with his family. Security operatives recovered weapons, ammunition, mobile phones, bank cards, charms, animal horns, and cash totaling ₦10,000 from the bandits’ camp.
Sources confirmed that the gang had planned another attack on September 18 in Federal Housing Estate, Karu, but the successful raid foiled the operation. Authorities said proactive anti-kidnapping and anti-banditry patrols have been intensified across border communities, with the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (AKU-SCID) leading further investigations.
By PRNigeria
