Odita Sunday 
FCT Police Rescue Four Kidnap Victims After Gun Battle With Abductors In Abuja
By Odita Sunday
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued four kidnapped residents after a fierce gun battle with suspected kidnappers in the Jikoko Hills axis of Abuja, forcing the fleeing criminals to abandon their captives and escape into the surrounding forest.
The development was disclosed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, anipr, mipra., in a statement issued on Friday, while noting that the Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, has ordered an intensified manhunt to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
According to the statement, the kidnapping occurred at about 10:40 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, when armed men invaded the Yellow House area of Mpape in the FCT and abducted four residents.
Following a distress call, the Commissioner of Police immediately deployed operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, personnel from the Katampe and Mpape Police Divisions, as well as the 24 Police Mobile Force Squadron to the scene.
The police said preliminary investigations revealed that the attackers shot two residents before escaping. While two injured victims were rushed to hospital, one of them, identified only as Mr. Babangida, later died from his injuries, while the second victim, who sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, is reportedly responding positively to treatment.
The statement further explained that the abductors forced the four hostages through the Jikoko Hills towards the Ushafa Forest, prompting a sustained search operation by security operatives.
After maintaining pressure on the kidnappers for two days, police operatives reportedly tracked the gang to the Jikoko Hills at about 12:05 a.m. on Friday, July 10, while they were moving the hostages towards the Ushafa Forest.
On sighting the advancing security team, the kidnappers reportedly opened fire, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire.
However, the police operatives were said to have overpowered the suspects, compelling them to flee deeper into the hills and forest while abandoning the four captives.
The rescued victims were evacuated safely from the forest without injuries and reunited with their families, while police teams have continued combing the area in pursuit of the fleeing suspects.
Reaffirming the Command’s resolve, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, PhD, FCAI, assured residents that every effort was being made to arrest those behind the attack and bring them to justice.
He also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station or through the FCT Police Command emergency lines: 08032003913 and 08028940883.
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