Insecurity: Abuja residents protest, block Kuje-Gwagwalada road

Some residents of  Chukuku, a suburb of Abuja metropolis, as early as 7:00 am, yesterday, blocked the Kuje-Gwagwalada road protesting the deteriorating security in the area.

It was gathered that a few weeks ago, gunmen stormed the area and kidnapped five people, including two sons of staff of a federal agency.

Days later, a young man was also abducted in Petti village, but released three days after N3 million ransom was paid to the bandits.

Some of the protesters set bonfires on the Kuje-Gwagwalada road and carried placards with several inscriptions, such as “Government should provide security for Chukuku community”; “We need security in Chukuku community,” among others, to press home their demands.

They also chanted “Muna bukatar tsaro” meaning; “We need security.”Motorists on both sides of the road, those coming into Kuje and those going out of the metropolis, were stranded for the period of the protest.

Community leaders and some elders made efforts to calm the protesters, who insisted on continuing with the protest.

A resident, Mr Bulus Wodi, said over 10 people were kidnapped Wednesday night in a four-hour operation by bandits in the community.

He said last week, four other people were also confirmed missing, while one person was killed on the spot before the bandits took away their victims, adding that security operatives came hours after the operation.

Wodi called on the government to provide adequate security in the community, adding that the situation was becoming worrisome to residents.

At press time, efforts to get a reaction from the Police proved abortive as several calls put through to the FCT command’s Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, were not picked, and messages sent to her WhatsApp line were also not replied to.