ABUJA, Nigeria—Police in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, have killed three prominent kidnap leaders during a gunfight and rescued a number of their captives, according to a statement from authorities. The operation is part of an ongoing effort to combat crime in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, told reporters on Friday that police officers raided a kidnapper’s hideout in the Zinda Forest, near Kurudu, on September 18. During the intense shootout, the police killed the gang’s leader, Abdullahi Umar, along with his two lieutenants.
Police said the group was linked to a string of abductions in the city and had been plotting another attack on a local resident. Officers recovered two AK-49 rifles, ammunition, phones, and cash from the scene.
The police chief also spoke about other recent successes, including the arrest of a three-man robbery gang responsible for a ₦2.7 million theft in April. He added that the command has intensified its crackdown on drug cartels, arresting 11 suspected dealers and seizing large quantities of narcotics.
Adewale paid tribute to a local vigilante, Bako Pwaza, who was killed while trying to prevent a separate abduction on September 15. The police commissioner described him as “a hero who paid the ultimate price in the service of his community.”
The police assured residents that they would continue to work with other security agencies to dislodge criminal camps. Adewale said, “Policing is most effective when communities partner with law enforcement. We cannot and will not allow the reckless acts of a few to endanger the safety, dignity, and well-being of millions of residents.”
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