The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued a kidnap victim, Nafiu Idris, after 30-minute of a gun duel with a group of kidnappers in the Guzape area of Abuja.

Idris, a staff of Woman Affairs Department in the FCT, was kidnapped in his house in the Karu area of the FCT on Thursday at 10: 30 pm by three men.

Explaining his experience with the kidnappers who were later killed by the police, Idris said he was taken to a cave where the kidnappers were negotiating with his family members.

He said, “My name is Nafiu Idris. I stay in Karu, in the FCT. I work in the FCT, in the Department of Women Affairs.

“On 17 Sept 2025 around 10:30 pm I was kidnapped by kidnappers.

“When I wanted to enter my house, one of them came to kidnap me. Two others later joined him with guns.

“They shot into the air before I was taken away. They took me to where I did not know, used a knife to tear my clothes and used their cloth to tie my hands and took me into a cave.

“It was there that they started communicating with my family. In the process on Thursday we heard a sound of a gun and we heard the police advancing toward us.

“So the kidnappers were afraid and moved away and left me in the cave. It was there that I stood up and followed another way in the cave.

“I was hearing gunshots and later I met with the police where they rescued me after killing the kidnappers. I thank God”.

The FCT Commissioner of Police, (CP) Ajao Adewale, while briefing reporters on the incident on Friday, said the rescue operation was part of a raid conducted in the area between September 15 and September 18.

He said the operation that led to the rescue of the victim was a life-threatening battle that involved 30 minutes of heavy gun duel between police operatives and the hoodlums.

Adewale said two members of the vigilante group were injured in the attack on Sept. 15.

He said one of the injured later died at the National Hospital, Abuja.

According to the CP, the attackers had also attempted to kidnap two young ladies, but were rescued through a coordinated response operation led by him.

He stated that others involved in the operation included the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, the Rapid Response Squad Commander, and other officers.

“On Sept. 17, at about 10:32 p.m., the same group of bandits struck again at Karu, where one Nafiu Idris, a staff member of the FCTA’s Department of Urban Affairs, was abducted.

“Acting swiftly, the command Anti-Kidnapping Unit, in synergy with the Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army, DSS operatives, Hunters, and Vigilantes, launched a clearance operation.

“On Sept. 18, at about 7:00 a.m., the bandits’ hideout was traced to Zinda Forest, behind the Nigerian Army Estate in Kurudu, bordering Nasarawa State.

“The gang engaged our operatives in a fierce gun battle, but our team overpowered them and three of the notorious criminals were neutralized,” he said.

The CP said the investigation revealed that the neutralized gang leader had been responsible for multiple kidnappings in Karu, Guzape, Kpobi, Army Estate, Kurudu, and several locations in Nasarawa State.

He said the gang’s planned attempt to kidnap a resident of Federal Housing Estate, Karu, on September 18 was successfully foiled.

Adewale said the command’s proactive anti-kidnapping and anti-banditry patrols were ongoing across border communities and identified hotspots.

The CP said the items recovered from the gang were two AK-49 rifles, two magazines with seven rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition and two Itel handsets.

According to him, other items recovered include two ATM cards, two lighters, assorted charms, animal horns, and a cash sum of N10,000.

Meanwhile, the CP said the command’s Anti-Narcotics Unit had recorded remarkable progress in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.

He said 11 notorious drug dealers were arrested in coordinated raids across identified drug black spots in the FCT.

According to him, a total of 68 bags of substances suspected to be cannabis and other illicit drugs were recovered.

Adewale said the arrests were critical in disrupting criminal supply chains, reducing the rate of drug-fueled crimes, and keeping harmful substances away from communities. (The Nation)