Unknown gunmen have struck at the Chukuku community in Abuja, killing a father and kidnapping his 12-year-old daughter in the Kuje Area Council.

Residents said the gunmen who came in their numbers laid siege on the community, shooting sporadically while people who were coming out for activities of the day scampered for safety as the shooting lasted.

The armed men were said to have stormed the community on Tuesday and operated for hours before leaving.

“Efforts were made to get the Police during the incident, but the police were nowhere to be found”, one resident said.

As of the close of day on Friday, no contact had been made with either the family or community leaders for ransom for the kidnapped girl.

A resident said, “We were taken unawares as we suddenly heard sporadic gunshots from different directions leading to confusion as to what was happening.

“The gunmen came in large numbers. It was as if they came for war. Later we discovered they targetted the residence of a man in Chukuku, along Old Chukuku road.

“They killed the man and took away his 12-year-old daughter with them. During the operation, we reached out to one of the emergency numbers of the police. We didn’t see any officers until they finished the operation and left”.

A Police source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the FCT Command has been notified of the incident and officers of the anti-Kidnapping Unit have been deployed for a man-hunt to the area. (Saturday Vanguard)