Bandits Kill Security Guard, Abduct Pastor and Two Others in Abuja’s Mpape

Bandits launched a late-night attack on Mpape, a community in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), killing a security guard and abducting three people, including a pastor, in yet another incident highlighting growing security concerns within the nation’s capital.

The attack occurred on Wednesday night in the Yellow House area, a developing neighbourhood in Mpape, which lies only a few minutes from the upscale Maitama District and is located close to a military barracks.

Residents said the gunmen, believed to be about 10 in number, stormed the community shortly before 11 p.m. and attempted to invade a particular residence. However, their plan was disrupted when a police patrol team, alerted by distressed residents, arrived at the scene.

According to eyewitnesses, the attackers exchanged gunfire with the security operatives before abandoning the attempted break-in and retreating.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the fleeing gunmen encountered a pastor who was returning home and forcefully whisked him away in his own vehicle.

“They couldn’t break into the house they had targeted because the police arrived on time. As they were escaping, they intercepted the pastor, dragged him out and abducted him. They also seized two other residents they met along the road,” the source said.

The pastor’s abandoned vehicle was later recovered by security personnel within the neighbourhood after the attackers fled with their captives.

During the operation, another resident sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. Police officers reportedly evacuated the victim to a hospital, where he is receiving medical treatment.

The latest attack has heightened fears among residents of Mpape, a community that has witnessed a rise in security threats despite its proximity to key government districts and military facilities. Security agencies have yet to issue an official statement on the incident, while efforts are believed to be ongoing to rescue the abducted victims.