In a dramatic rescue that pierced the thick veil of terror hanging over Abuja’s outskirts, four residents of Chikakore, a community in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have regained their freedom after spending a harrowing 72 days in the clutches of ruthless kidnappers.
The victims—an entire family and their guest—were abducted on the night of Sunday, January 26, 2025, when heavily armed gunmen invaded the Health Centre Extension of Chikakore around 11 p.m., firing sporadically as they whisked away their prey under the cover of darkness. Among those abducted was Michael Adesiyan, a Deputy Director at the National Assembly Commission, along with his wife, son, a visiting relative, and a neighbour.
During the attack, chaos erupted. One woman was violently struck on the head with a gun, leaving her seriously injured. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Despite frantic distress calls, security forces arrived at the scene over an hour later—too late to confront the assailants. The sluggish response sparked outrage in the community.
“The bandits have resumed their reign of terror here,” a local resident lamented. “We have already built a five-bedroom apartment to accommodate the police, and the land is ready. Yet, there’s been no deployment.”
In the wake of the abduction, a coordinated rescue mission spearheaded by the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with intelligence units and the FCT Police Command, was launched. On Sunday, April 7, their efforts culminated in a successful extraction of the surviving victims.
However, the joy was bittersweet. One of the five abducted victims was tragically found dead during the operation. His lifeless body was discovered abandoned on a roadside in Niger State, marking a dark chapter in an already traumatic saga.
At the National Counter-Terrorism Centre in Abuja, where 60 recently rescued victims were presented to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Michael Adesiyan recounted the chilling experience of being shackled and psychologically tormented in captivity.
“I was chained for 32 days,” he revealed, visibly emotional. “The boys holding us were between 17 and 21. They had no clue what they were doing. They can’t even count a million naira, yet they were demanding hundreds of millions in ransom.”
The seasoned civil servant issued a heartfelt appeal to the federal government: “We can’t keep using violence alone. These boys need to be disarmed, educated, and rehabilitated. We need a national rethink on how to dismantle this menace.”
The incident, yet another grim reminder of the escalating insecurity even in the nation’s capital, has ignited renewed calls for the urgent deployment of security personnel in vulnerable communities like Chikakore.
As the nation celebrates the return of the rescued victims, the wounds of abduction, trauma, and loss remain etched in the hearts of families—and in the memory of a community still waiting for protection and justice.
PIONEER NEWS 