Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers shot at commuters and injured many in an attempt to whisk away victims at an Abuja suburb, many sources told Peoples Gazette on Sunday.
The incident occurred on Friday around 8:30 p.m. in Pegi community within Kuje area council of the FCT, the Gazette learnt.
The Gazette gathered that the assailants, during the failed mission, attempted to abduct residents living in an estate in the area as they were returning from work.
Narrating his ordeal, Kolade Amos, who sustained gunshot injury during the attack, told the Gazette that the gunmen attacked vehicles heading towards 1000 Unit Estate.
“When I was driving, heading towards my estate, a silver colour C-class Mercedes Benz, ’98 model precisely, overtook my vehicle and stopped as the car barricaded the road. Before I could blink my eye, I just saw a guy who dropped from the Benz with a rifle and started shooting sporadically.
“I had three occupants in my vehicle including a lady whom I gave a lift on my way back home.
“The gunmen shot at my vehicle multiple times while we all took cover but, to God be the glory, I escaped with my life after sustaining gunshot wounds. The bullets hit my shoulder and also the lady who sat at the back of my car whose identity I can’t tell.
“My friend, Abdul Mohammed, was also hit by the bullet on his hand. I managed to escape with reverse (gear) until I found my self in Kuje town,” Mr. Amos told the Gazette by telephone on Sunday after recuperating from gunshot injuries.
Shittu Adebayo, who escaped the attack unhurt, told this newspaper that bullets hit his car “five times” as he tried to abandon his vehicle and take cover in a nearby bush.
“I think at about few minutes to 9:00 p.m. or thereabout, I had gunshots while driving back home from Tipper Garage along Pegi.
“About 200 metres away from my vehicle, I noticed vehicles were forced to make U-turn while the shooting was ongoing.
“I had to speed up and tried all my possible best to escape. Shortly after, I had several gunshots behind my vehicle. I was forced to abandon my vehicle by the roadside and ran to the bush,” Mr. Adebayo said.
The Gazette learnt that the attack continued for about 20 minutes before police from Kuje Division intervened, forcing the gunmen to retreat.
Aderibigbe Isaac Taiwo, a community leader, spoke about the incident with the Gazette, saying the situation was being monitored.
“We cannot ascertain that a member of the community is kidnapped until we conduct our headcount and reach out to families,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the police in Abuja did not return multiple calls and messages seeking comments from the Gazette.
Pegi is one of the six resettlement areas created by Nasir El-Rufai’s when he was Abuja ministers between early and mid-2000s.
Residents living in the community decried incessant attacks by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers. The Gazette had last year, reported how gunmen abducted five siblings at gunpoint in the neighbourhood.
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