The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, said 10 persons kidnapped in Kuje Area Council of Abuja had been rescued by security agents.
Bello said this at a news conference on the successful rescue mission in Abuja on Monday.
He said the rescue team consisted of 250 personnel of Army, Police, Command Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Department of State Security Services and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
“They routed the kidnappers and destroyed their camps.’’
He said the notorious gang of hoodlums specialised in robbing and kidnapping innocent residents in that area.
The minister said that the seven males and three females rescued had been handed over to the Gomo of Kuje for immediate rehabilitation.
He, however, said that an officer of the NSCDC, ASC1 Anumudu Uchewho, took ill during the operation and died.
“Uchewho death will not be in vain as he lost his life in the line of duty to save the lives of ten other residents of the territory.
“All the bandits’ structures have been dismantled and security agencies have strengthened surveillance mechanism as not to allow such miscreants operate within the 8,000 square kilometres of the FCT’, he said.
Commissioner of Police in Abuja, Mohammed Mustapha assured all residents in the affected villages that the p0lice had commenced massive deployment to forestall any future occurrence.
Mustapha assured that the security agents were making concerted efforts to arrest the dislodged hoodlums; adding that nothing would be left unturned to get them to face the consequences of their criminal actions.
It will be recalled that Darka village in Kuje Area Council was attacked in the early hours of Sunday, Nov. 13 leaving a 28-year old man, Zakariyya Nuhu dead, one injured and six kidnapped.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that neighboring Huni-Gade was also attacked on Nov. 17 where four persons were kidnapped. (NAN)