Abuja Still Under Kidnappers' Siege

Kidnappers, numbering about 8, invaded the Army Housing Estate, Kurudu, Abuja, and abducted three persons, including the wife of one Barr Cyril Agikwu and two of his in-laws. 

The incident, which took place at about 10pm Thursday night, close to a property said to belong to the Chief of Army Staff, threw the estate and environs into panic mode. 

Barr Adikwu, who spoke with Vanguard newspaper, disclosed that the kidnappers, who have already made a ransom demand, came into the compound alongside the victims who were coming in from an outing. 

“It all happened on Thursday night at about 10:00 pm when a vehicle containing those who were kidnapped drove into my compound and then all of a sudden the kidnappers followed the vehicle into my compound."

Barr Adikwu explained that upon hearing of some strange inside the compound, he peeped to see what was amiss only to realize that his home was under siege. 

“I was upstairs and heard strange sounds, so I peeped through the burglary door upstairs and saw one of them who was kidnapped on the floor. I asked what was going on there, and she said, ‘I don’t know, these men are asking me to go down, then it occurred to me they were kidnappers."

According to him, all hell broke loose shortly after the abductors gained entrance into the compound as his family members who were held captive by the kidnappers began screaming following which he attempted to alert neighbours.

However, his attempt had the attackers raining bullets at his direction upstairs, forcing him to make a quick escape.

Subsequently, the kidnappers made a quick exit, taking along the victims through the bush part of the adjoining hills surrounding the housing estate. 

"Then I started screaming ‘Kidnappers help” at the top of my voice, at this point they started shooting at me upstairs I was able to escape and then they started shooting guns in the air while they took the three of them away," he disclosed. 

The obviously traumatized Barr Adikwu said the abductors were in contact with him minutes after the incident, demanding a ransom of well over N30m.