ABUJA, Nigeria — A group of heavily armed kidnappers invaded Grow Homes Estate in the Chikakore area of Kubwa, a densely populated suburb of Nigeria’s capital, early on Monday, May 26, 2025, abducting one resident and triggering a gun battle with police that lasted nearly 40 minutes.
The incident, which occurred between midnight and 1:30 a.m., left residents shaken as the assailants reportedly overpowered the estate’s local security team and breached the premises through the rear perimeter fence.
“They were well-armed and operated for over an hour,” one resident said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.
“They took a man and a woman away, but by morning, the woman was found within the estate. The reasons for her release remain unclear.”
Residents have since called on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration and the Nigeria Police Force to improve infrastructure and establish a local police station to aid rapid response in future emergencies.
“We are appealing to the government to fix the road so security vehicles can respond faster,” another resident said.
Confirming the incident, spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, said the attackers were engaged in a fierce gunfight with officers deployed to the scene following a distress call.
“The FCT Police Command, on Monday, 26th May 2025, at about 1:00 a.m., received a distress call from officers stationed in front of Grow Homes Estate, Kuchibuyi village in Byazhin, reporting an attack by armed assailants and requesting reinforcement,” Adeh said in a statement.
“Upon swift deployment to the scene, it was discovered that the attackers had breached the estate through the rear perimeter fence and forcefully abducted two victims. The responding officers exchanged gunfire with the attackers for about 40 minutes and successfully rescued one of the victims, identified as Chinyere Joe.”
She confirmed that the attackers escaped with the second victim, and that a coordinated operation involving the police Anti-Kidnapping Unit, the Nigerian Army, and other security agencies is now underway to secure the victim’s release and apprehend the culprits.
The attack comes just days after a similar incident at Efab Global Estate in Abuja’s Idu Industrial Area, raising further concerns over the rising frequency of abductions in the nation’s capital.
Residents say the latest attack highlights the growing vulnerability of Abuja’s suburban estates to organised criminal activity and are demanding a more proactive and visible security presence in the area.
