Nigerian Police Successfully Rescue 22 People Kidnapped By Armed Groups On The Edge Of Abuja

Nigerian military illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Petty Officer 2nd Class Cameron Edy)

JAKARTA - At least 22 people kidnapped by a group of armed men from Dawaki District on the outskirts of Abuja, the Nigerian capital, were rescued, police and local residents said.

Nicholas Olayinka, a resident, told Reuters a number of large and armed men in military uniforms stormed the area at around 19:40 p.m. local time on Monday, firing sporadically and causing panic as people fled. for security.

"In the end, we realized they had arrested about 19 people on the road around Fulani's intersection, and three others from adjacent roads," Olayinka said.

Meanwhile, police spokesman Abuja Josephine Adeh said in a statement the report regarding the incident was received from a resident.

It said, after the report, officers were deployed along with local hunters, who ambushed the gunmen.

"This led to a fierce gun duel where thugs were overwhelmed by the agents' firepower, forcing them to flee to safety with varying levels of gunshot wounds, and the victims were rescued," said Adeh.

One of the kidnapping victims who was rescued was injured in the attack and is being treated, said Adeh.

The kidnapping for ransom is widespread in Nigeria as a gang of gunmen roaming around target people in remote areas, highways and schools.

Despite several attacks and kidnappings around Abuja in recent years, most of the incidents occurred on the outskirts of the city, with its safety weak.