Crime
FCT: 7 Family Members Kidnapped, 1 Killed, Police Injured In Bandits’ Attack
In the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a group of bandits carried out a disturbing attack, kidnapping seven members of a family.
During this heinous act, two policemen sustained bullet injuries.
Tragically, a middle-aged man known as Alhaji, who courageously led the police in an attempt to thwart the abduction, lost his life in the encounter with the bandits.
This incident is part of a concerning trend in the region, as bandits have been increasingly targeting villages within the Bwari Area Council.
Residents have faced the harrowing reality of abductions and even fatalities due to these repeated incursions by the bandits, causing heightened fear and concern among the community.
According to Isaiah Samuel, a resident of Bwari, the distressing incident occurred during the early hours of Wednesday in Zuma 1, located within the central ward of the Bwari Area Council.
Samuel described how the bandits meticulously planned their attack, positioning themselves strategically after singling out their target’s residence.
He stated that when the victim sensed something amiss upon hearing an unusual sound, they promptly contacted a relative known as Alhaji for assistance.
According to him, Alhaji swiftly organized a response, mobilizing the police to the scene in an attempt to intervene.
Samuel said “It was when the man suspected a strange sound in front of his house that he immediately called his brother, popularly called Alhaji to alert the police.”
Isaiah Samuel recounted that Alhaji, at the forefront with a team of policemen headed towards the targeted house, fell victim to a hidden bandit who fatally shot him from a concealed position which led to an intense exchange of gunfire between the police and the bandits, resulting in two officers sustaining gunshot wounds during the confrontation.
He said “The bandits eventually succeeded in whisking away the man and his family members, because the distance from the victim’s house to where the police engaged the bandits is far,”
Samuel further recounts an incident from the early hours of Tuesday when the bandits struck Barangoni, also within the Bwari central ward.
During this attack, three individuals were abducted, and a vigilant community member sustained injuries while trying to intervene.
Expressing concern and urgency, Samuel appealed to the authorities of the Area Council to step in and support the residents.
He emphasized the critical need for collaboration between local authorities and security agencies to address the relentless wave of kidnappings plaguing the area.
He added “The truth is that Bwari area council is under siege, because for the past two weeks now, bandits have been moving from one community to another killing and abducting people.”
However, the FCT Police Command had not responded or issued any statement regarding the recent attacks in Bwari.
Former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, along with his daughter and two others, have been slated for arraignment today (thursday) by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
They face charges related to an alleged N2.7 billion fraud linked to the failed Nigerian Air project.
The proceedings are set to unfold before Justice Sylvanus Oriji at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.
The charges, based on court documents, accuse Sirika of granting undue advantage to certain entities in Abuja between April 2022 and March 2023.
The anti-graft agency has accused Sirika of misusing his authority by awarding a N1.3 billion consultancy contract for the Nigerian Air Start-up to Tianero Nigeria Limited.
This alleged action is said to contravene Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
In a separate charge, the EFCC alleges that on or around August 18, 2022, in Abuja, Sirika utilized on or about August 18, 2022 ia, Sirika “did use your position to confer unfair advantage upon Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, whose alter ego, Fatima Hadi Sirika and Jalal Sule Hamma are your daughter and son-in-law respectively, by using your position to influence the award to them, the contract for the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1.498,300,750.00.”
The anti-graft agency asserted that Sirika’s actions amounted to a violation of Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, rendering him liable to punishment under the same section.
In count three, the EFCC accused Sirika of criminal breach of trust “while serving as the Minister of Aviation and in his capacity as a public officer” on or around August 18, 2022, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court.
In late April, the former aviation minister was taken into custody by the anti-graft agency and interrogated for several days.
Zamfara State is in the grip of fear and mourning following a series of vicious attacks by bandits, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals and the abduction of a branch manager of Taj Bank in Mandir Laura.
In a daring raid, approximately fifteen armed bandits stormed the manager’s residence in Rijiyar Gabas, seizing him and vanishing into the night.
Meanwhile, Faru Town in Maradun local government area witnessed a bloodbath as bandits struck, leaving eight residents dead.
Eyewitnesses recount the terror as the attackers besieged the town, instilling fear and chaos before retreating with captives into the surrounding forests.
The incidents have prompted widespread outrage and renewed calls for urgent action to stem the tide of violence plaguing Zamfara State.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reached an out-of-court settlement with renowned barman, Pascal Okechukwu, famously known as Cubana Chief Priest, regarding charges of naira abuse.
This development surfaced during the latest court proceedings presided over by Justice Kehinde Ogundare.
Cubana Chief Priest has been facing a three-count-charge related to the misuse of the national currency at a social gathering, a violation of the Central Bank Act of 2007.
Details later.. . ..
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