Panic and fear gripped residents of Efab Global Estate, Idu, Abuja, after a violent raid by suspected bandits.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers estimated to be over 40 in number stormed the estate in the early hours of Wednesday morning, attacking six houses and injuring about five security personnel with machetes while firing sporadically.
Residents who spoke to LEADERSHIP said the incident lasted for nearly three hours, leaving the community shaken and traumatised.
The chairman of the Estate’s Board of Trustees, Bola Adurashkin, confirmed that during the attack, mobile phones were stolen and a resident was forced to transfer approximately N700,000 to the assailants.
Adurashkin noted that many residents were too frightened to contact the police immediately. “This morning, I saw an alert on our estate platform around three minutes to 4 a.m. indicating gunshots were being heard.
“Because I live at the far end of the estate, I didn’t hear anything initially.”
I immediately called the Chairman of the Security Committee, who told me they had already contacted the police.”
When asked why the police weren’t called earlier, Adurashkin explained, “Everyone was scared and agitated. Between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., people were trying to hide under their beds and protect themselves. It wasn’t until after 4 a.m. that someone finally had the courage to call the police.”
He added that the police arrived around 4:25 a.m. but faced difficulties locating the exact scene of the attack due to the estate’s large size. “Some of our uninjured security men helped guide them, but by then, the attackers had fled. I’ve lived here for 14 years, and we’ve never experienced anything like this. Minor thefts, yes, but nothing involving armed men in such numbers.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police for Life Camp Area Command, Harrison Orurruo, who was there to assess the situation, assured residents that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. He also confirmed plans to enhance security in the area.
“I want to start by sympathizing with the residents,” Orurruo said. “As the Chairman and the BOT have noted, this incident is unprecedented. What matters most now is recognizing that security is everyone’s responsibility. When we received the report around 4 a.m., we arrived in less than 25 minutes.”
