A man was tragically killed during a bandit invasion at his Abuja residence on Thursday night. A police source confirmed the attack but did not provide further details.
The assailants reportedly kidnapped the deceased man’s wife and children during the incident. Ushafa, the community where the attack occurred, has been one of many areas suffering from the ongoing security challenges in Nigeria.
Efforts to reach SP Josephine Adeh, the Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, were unsuccessful as her phone went unanswered at the time of this report.
This incident comes on the heels of a report by SBM Intelligence, a consulting firm focused on market and security intelligence in Africa. The report revealed that Nigerians paid a staggering N1.048 billion in ransom to kidnappers between July 2023 and June 2024.
Titled “Grim Reaping,” the report highlighted that the FCT recorded the highest ransom demands in Nigeria, with Lagos and Kaduna also significantly affected.
The report underscored the worsening security situation in the country, pointing to the alarming rise in kidnappings for ransom. Although kidnappers demanded a total of N11 billion during the period, only N1.048 billion was actually paid.
SBM Intelligence attributed the increase in kidnapping incidents to economic stagnation, noting that criminals are now targeting a wider range of victims. They typically start with high ransom demands, which are often negotiated down to amounts that families or social organizations can manage to pay.
For more updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VabITrvEAKW7DSkTfP0J