3 bandits shot dead, rifles recovered in abduction attempt

Three suspected armed bandits were reportedly killed during a gun battle with members of the FCT police command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit during a foiled abduction attempt in an FCT community.

Commissioner of Police, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, disclosed this at the command headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, adding that three AK-47 rifles, three magazines, and 33 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition were recovered.

He said the incident occurred around 11pm when the anti-kidnapping team, led by the OC Anti-Kidnapping, tactically advanced into a forest believed to be the gang’s meeting point.

Upon sighting the operatives, the bandits opened fire, prompting a fierce shootout that led to the killing of thre of them.

Dantawaye added that operatives, acting on intelligence earlier on Sunday around 2.11pm, trailed and arrested one of the key conspirators—a wanted kidnapper and armed robbery suspect identified as Sani Mohammed Umar, aka Boko.

Police said the suspect confessed that his gang members were waiting for him at Gada Biyu Hills, Kwali, where they had assembled to begin another planned community attack. “The joint security operatives responded decisively, engaging the criminals in a fierce 30-minute gun duel during which three of the bandits were neutralized,” he said.

According to him, some gang members fled with gunshot wounds.

He said the mobile phone believed to be the gang’s primary communication device was recovered from the arrested suspect.

The commissioner disclosed that intelligence reports indicated the bandits had concluded plans to launch an attack on a community on or before December 1, 2025, to abduct residents for ransom.

He said a joint operation involving police operatives and troops of the Forward Operation Base (FOB), 176 Battalion, Kwali, was ongoing, with teams combing the forest and blocking escape routes.

Dantawaye added that medical facilities across the area had been alerted to report anyone presenting with gunshot wounds to the nearest security agency or contact the command via 08032003913 or 08061581938.

He commended the gallantry and professionalism of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and acknowledged the valuable intelligence from the public.

The commissioner said the breakthrough followed recent kidnapping incidents in Aco Community, Gwagwalada, and Bwari, which led the command to order intensified operations to dismantle the syndicate behind the attacks.

He urged FCT residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information to security operatives.

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