Operatives of the Special Intervention Squad, Federal Capital Territory Police Command have successfully eliminated three infamous bandits in a forest located in the Bwari area of Abuja.
In the early hours of Friday, January 26, at around 2 am, the bandits met their demise in a forest connecting Abuja to Kaduna State.
Among the trio was the gang leader, Mai Gemu, widely recognized as Godara, who, along with other members of the gang, had been causing fear and insecurity in the FCT and nearby states.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this development in Abuja on Friday while presenting around 20 criminal suspects apprehended for diverse offenses across the country.
Adejobi said, “We’ve recorded another significant stride towards fortifying the security landscape in the Federal Capital Territory following the recent launch of the Special Intervention Squad under the command of the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun.
“The SIS, in the early hours of Friday neutralises one of the most wanted kidnap kingpins, Mai Gemu aka Godara and two other members of his gang in an exchange of gunfire in the Bwari area of Abuja in a forest linking Abuja with Kaduna State.”
The Special Intervention Squad of the Federal Capital Territory Police has assumed control of a crucial route in Usafa, Bwari Area Council, utilized by bandits for transporting their victims from Abuja to neighboring states such as Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, and Kogi.
Confirming this development last Saturday, the FCT SIS Commander, Commissioner of Police Bennett Igwe, led a team of armed policemen and crime reporters into the bushy and hilly parts of Ushafa community. SIS operatives were deployed to secure the area and drive out the bandits.
The surge in insecurity within the FCT has raised significant concerns among residents and authorities. The capital city, once considered relatively insulated from the prevalent security challenges in other parts of the country, is now grappling with a rising wave of criminal activities, particularly kidnappings.
Among the notable incidents in the past seven months is the abduction on January 2, 2024, of 23 individuals, including members of the Al-Kadriyar and the Ariyo families in the Bwari Area Council.