By Patrick Idowu
Residents of Kubwa in Abuja were thrown into panic following separate armed robbery incidents that rocked two neighbourhoods this week, resulting in the theft of two vehicles and other valuables.
The first attack occurred around 2 a.m. at Phase 2 Site 2, where about seven gunmen stormed a residence and carted away mobile phones, two plasma televisions, and a wristwatch.
The gang also snatched a 2023 Toyota Corolla belonging to Engr. Alkasim Nafiu, a staff member of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
Speaking to journalists, Nafiu recounted the terrifying experience and said he was waiting on a police report to process an insurance claim for the stolen car.
In a similar operation around 4 a.m. in the Gbazango New Extension area, another resident, Alhaji Sani Muhammad, was attacked and robbed of his 2013 Honda car.
Muhammad, an employee of a mining company, said the assailants, also numbering seven, split into two groups to execute the raid.
“Three of them waited at my neighbour’s gate, while four others positioned themselves nearby,” he said. “As I stepped out around 5 a.m. to go to the mosque, they rounded me up and forced me back into my compound. They demanded phones from all family members before leaving with one of my cars.”
Following the incident, detectives from the Kubwa Police Division reportedly arrested a security guard on duty for allegedly violating a standing rule that prohibits opening the neighbourhood gate before 6 a.m.
Confirming the two incidents, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Kubwa, CSP Paul Lazarus, said investigations are ongoing.
