What would have been a normal Sunday night turned into a nightmare as kidnappers abducted two sisters from the Guita community in Abuja.

A source, who does not want to be named, told FIJ that the kidnappers broke into a house in the community in the Bwari Council Area around midnight on Sunday.

He also revealed that the kidnappers demanded N15 million to release their captives. When the father told the kidnappers he could not afford it, they told him to sell his Toyota Hiace bus to raise the money.

The source said the kidnappers had reduced the ransom to N6 million by Friday afternoon but the father said he only had N1 million.

READ ALSO: REPORT: Escalating Kidnappings Transforming FCT Into Economic Nightmare

“It happened sometime before midnight and 1:00 am on Sunday night. The kidnappers broke into the house and the man escaped through the backdoor and scaled the fence in hope of calling local security operatives, but before he would return, they had taken his two daughters; one is 25 and the other is 22. It’s quite unfortunate that the vigilantes did not work that particular day, but they had been working all this while,” the source revealed.

The Abuja source, who expressed surprise at the Guita kidnapping, said that vigilantes were always present in the area.

“Someone who stays close to the area told me that the vigilantes did not work that Sunday night. So, it seems there is an insider that fed the kidnappers with information on the absence of the vigilantes,” he added.

FIJ understands that a Special Intervention Squad (SIS) of the police force was launched in January to push back against kidnappers terrorising the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the entire country.

But, while speaking on this newly launched police squad, FIJ’s source in Abuja said that the SIS might not be effective in addressing resident’s security concerns.

“This special intervention squad is just paparazzi because the officers will only go to villages around 9:00 pm or 9:30 pm, stay for about an hour and thirty minutes and then go,” he said.

“What these policemen are doing is not surveillance or intelligence gathering. They always come after the deed has been done, and even when they are coming to our communities, they are always blowing sirens and making noise. Which criminal will want to come out when they are around?”

The Abuja resident, however, admitted that Beneth Igwe, the new commissioner of police in the FCT, appeared to be proactive in fighting kidnapping.

“The CP was there a few days ago, and it seems his tenure will be promising. The police are making frantic efforts too. The community has even provided a place for the police as a temporary police station and land for them to build a police station,” he said.

He also disclosed that the police had launched a manhunt to find kidnappers but faced challenges when their vehicles couldn’t access certain areas in the bush.

“Some of the villagers entered the bushes too, but it was too late. I personally feel they should ban motorcycles in the FCT because they seem to aid these kidnappers. Where cars cannot get to, the bikes will easily get there,” he said.

‘FOR HOW LONG SHALL WE ENDURE INSECURITY?’

The source lamented that kidnappers had been operating in Abuja for over three years, yet security forces could not end their activities.

“Abuja has become a hotspot for insecurity. Your car cannot break down at night in certain flashpoints. If your car breaks down by 6:00 pm, make sure you fix it before 6.30 pm or leave the area,” the source explained.

READ ALSO: Kubwa, Aso Rock’s ‘Backyard’, Has Become Kidnapper’s Playground. Here’s How Residents Live

“Some days ago, someone told me his car broke down around one of those areas at about 5:30 pm, and his mechanic did not get there on time. Around 7:00 pm, he said, some guys came around with knives and guns.

“If you talk, police will say journalists are exaggerating, but to be honest, the insecurity that goes on in Abuja is underreported. People are tired. Do you know how many people have abandoned their homes and left the towns?”

An earlier report published by FIJ revealed that the escalating kidnappings within the FCT have turned the place into an economic nightmare.

In previous reports, FIJ had highlighted numerous kidnapping cases in the FCT, along with survivors’ accounts, some of which can be read here, here, here, here and here.

Abimbola Abatta is a reporter with FIJ writing reports in partnership with Report for the World which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.