Fear Grips Abuja Community As Gunmen Found In Nearby Forest

Fear grips residents of Gumanyi and some neighbouring communities in Kuje Area Council, weekend, as suspected gunmen allegedly relocated from a neighboring Tude village to a forest near the community.

A resident of Gumanyi community, who gave his name as Sunday Musa, said they have been living in fear for the past three weeks after discovering some armed men, suspected to be cattle rustlers, in a thick forest near the community.

He said a local hunter at the village narrowly escaped death last week after he ran into the gang while hunting for animals in the forest.

“An elderly man, who is a local hunter in the village, ran into them, last week and they snatched his locally made gun and cutlass. They asked him to show them any Fulani camp around the area but, luckily, he narrowly escaped and ran home,” he said.

According to him, the gunmen, in their large number, created a camp inside the thick forest, from where they come out in search of Fulani camps.

He said residents of the community, especially farmers, now visit their farms in fear, adding that they now go to their farms in group.

He alleged that the gunmen, sometimes, steal their yams at the farm.  

“Farmers at neighbouring Gurufufu, Gatsana, Agwe and Jigba communities are also living in fear because of the activities of these people. We urge the council authorities to liaise with the police to see how they can dislodge them.”

City News recalls reporting cases of cattle rustling by gunmen in FCT with Kuje communities worst hit.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Rubochi Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr. Okeke Innocent, were not successful as his phone was switched off when City News  placed a call to him.

Also, a police officer at the station said the division was not aware of the incident but admitted that they were informed about invasion by some gunmen of Tude village, last month.