The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has confirmed the death of a police officer during a gun battle with armed men who attacked the Guto community in Bwari Area Council, Abuja, in the early hours of Thursday.
Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh said in a statement that about 30 gunmen stormed the area with the intention to kidnap “a resident and his family.”
According to her, operatives from the “Bwari Division’s Surveillance Team, in conjunction with the IGP Special Intervention Squad (SIS), mobilised to the scene.”
“Upon sighting the police team, the attackers opened fire. The officers responded with superior firepower, engaging the attackers in a heated gun duel,” she said.
Adeh added that two of the assailants were killed during the exchange, while the others fled “into the surrounding bushes and mountains for safety.”
“Tragically, one police officer sustained a fatal gunshot injury during the exchange and was rushed to Bwari General Hospital, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor. The Command deeply regrets this loss, as the officer paid the supreme price in the line of duty,” she stated.
Bwari, located on the outskirts of Abuja, has been the scene of rising criminal activity in recent years.
Thursday’s attack adds to a growing list of violent incidents across the country. States including Borno, Kebbi, Kwara and Katsina have recorded a surge in killings and mass abductions by armed groups in recent days.
The worsening security situation has intensified pressure on President Bola Tinubu’s administration. The President recently postponed his foreign trips following the killing of a brigadier general and four security operatives in Borno, as well as the abduction of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi.
