By Olokuta Rofiat
Criminal gangs displaced by the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s ongoing Operation Sweep Abuja have relocated to satellite communities around Kurudu, Orozo, Gidan Daya, Kpeyegyi, and Gidan Mangoro, unleashing a wave of violent attacks that have left residents in fear.
Reports from affected areas indicate that the hoodlums now operate in large groups, sometimes numbering over 50 armed men, breaking into homes at night with machetes, axes, sledgehammers, and iron cutters.
Witnesses say the invaders spend hours carting away valuables, often leaving families injured or forcing them to flee into nearby bushes.
In Orozo, residents recounted a brazen three-hour raid where gangs looted house after house without interference.
A similar incident occurred in Gidan Mangoro’s Zone D (Angwan Mada), where attackers pursued occupants, leaving one homeowner injured while attempting to escape.
At Gidan Daya, near Loyola Jesuit College, robbers reportedly fired gunshots to scare residents, overpowered security guards, and ransacked homes before police arrived, only after the criminals had fled.
The surge in attacks has sparked panic in the affected communities. Many residents accuse security operatives of concentrating patrols in Abuja’s city centre, such as Maitama and Wuse, while neglecting the suburbs where displaced criminals are regrouping.
Community leaders have appealed to the FCTA and security agencies to extend Operation Sweep Abuja to the outskirts, warning that unchecked criminal activities could escalate into full-blown lawlessness if urgent measures are not taken.
