One Dead, Four Abducted as Armed Raiders Storm Abuja Community.
ABUJA — A neighborhood security guard was shot dead and four residents were taken hostage after a gang of heavily armed gunmen launched a midnight raid on the Paze area within the Byazhin district of Kubwa, Bwari Area Council. The violent assault, which took place in the early hours of Thursday, June 4, 2026, has thrown the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) suburb into a state of panic.
According to local sources, the criminal gang of about eight men breached the neighborhood situated behind the local Catholic Church at approximately 1:00 AM. The attackers marched through the premises, firing automatic weapons indiscriminately to terrorize residents and prevent any immediate counter-response. During the chaos, a local security guard engaged to protect the neighborhood, identified as Shuaibu Yerima, bravely attempted to monitor and intercept the raiders. Witness reports indicate that the assailants shot Yerima, who initially survived the wound but ultimately bled to death due to a critical delay in securing emergency medical assistance. His remains were buried later that Thursday following funeral prayers at the palace of the chief of Ijayapi.
Before retreating into the nearby forests, the gunmen ransacked several houses by breaking through windows, tying up residents, and seizing mobile phones, cash, and valuable personal property. The gang subsequently fled into the bush with four abducted hostages. Family members and community leaders have identified the captives as Pastor Francis Oriade of the All Christian Fellowship Mission (ACFM) in Maitama, an 11-year-old boy named Delight Okeke, Friday Isaac, and Jewel Obeh.
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has confirmed the incident, with Byazhin Police Division officers meeting with affected community members. FCT Police Spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, indicated that an investigation has been initiated and tactical teams are on the trail of the kidnappers to secure the safe release of the captives. The attack occurred less than a week after bandits invaded the nearby Kungabokun community to abduct a resident, prompting local panic and renewed calls for permanent police outposts in the border communities of the capital.
