By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
Residents of Kungaboku and Paze communities in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory are fleeing their homes in large numbers following a written threat issued by suspected bandits vowing to launch a coordinated attack. The threat letter was allegedly discovered in the notebook of a pupil at a private school in Paze, found by a teacher while marking assignments.
The discovery prompted an immediate alarm, leading to the pupil, their parents, the teacher, and school management being taken in for questioning by the police before being released after profiling. In the handwritten message, the gang vowed to attack Kungaboku and the neighboring Paze community to avenge the killing of their commander during a recent military operation.
The threat comes amid escalating insecurity in the area. On March 7, troops from the 7 Guards Battalion, Guards Brigade, alongside police operatives and local vigilantes, successfully rescued 19 kidnapped victims—mostly residents of Paze and Kungaboku—during a mission around Gidan Dogo.
Security sources reported that one bandit was neutralized during the encounter, while others fled with gunshot wounds, leading to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle and a locally made firearm. Just one day before the letter surfaced, suspected bandits raided a Fulani settlement in Kungaboku and abducted three women, with the kidnappers demanding a ransom of N70 million for their release.
These communities have endured repeated attacks in recent months. On March 5, suspected bandits attacked Kungaboku, abducting a retired military officer, Bankole Ganiyu, and three children, while his wife, a police officer, and two other children managed to escape.
In a separate incident the same day, gunmen attacked a farm settlement, killed a vigilante, and abducted three workers. The violence extends back to October 2025, when Dr. Ifeanyi Ogbu, a veterinarian and former chairman of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association in the FCT, was abducted along with his three children and later shot dead in an open field, though his children were eventually released.
Residents report a continuing pattern of armed groups raiding settlements in Paze, moving house to house, with at least 12 people, including women and children, kidnapped in the past two weeks alone. In one particularly distressing incident, the four children of a pastor were taken, as were the wife and sister of a vigilante leader, leaving a baby behind.
In response to the growing panic and the latest threat, the Byazhin Divisional Police Officer convened an emergency meeting with community leaders on Saturday at the palace of the Kungaboku community head, Chief Ishaya Jagaba. Police confirmed the authenticity of the threat letter but assured residents that proactive measures are being implemented to prevent any attack.
The DPO urged the community to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies. Residents were advised to regulate the activities of commercial motorcyclists and scavengers, who are suspected of acting as informants for criminal gangs, and to profile new individuals moving into the area to prevent criminals from hiding within the community.
Regarding the proposed police post in Kungaboku, the DPO encouraged the community to take proactive steps toward its realization while assuring them that the police would intensify day and night patrols in and around the affected communities.
Despite these assurances, fear remains palpable across Kungaboku and Paze, with homes standing deserted as residents wait to see if the promised security measures will be enough to avert another tragedy. Community leaders have urged calm, emphasizing that cooperation with security forces is crucial to deterring further violence.
