Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command have apprehended a suspected kidnapper after a fierce gun battle.
In the early hours of Friday, a band of kidnappers broke into an estate in the Kubwa district of the FCT.
When they saw police, they opened fire and escaped into a nearby swamp.
Our correspondent gathered that the operatives pursued the kidnappers, apprehending one and recovering a gang-owned vehicle.
When contacted, Tunji Disu, the FCT Commissioner of Police, verified that one of the kidnappers had been apprehended and firearms retrieved from him.
He stated that the police’s prompt response was the result of a call from one of the residents.
Disu advised locals to immediately contact the command’s emergency lines if they see unusual activity in their area.
He said, “Luckily, one of them was arrested; others escaped. And then we recovered from them an AK-47 rifle with 20 live rounds of ammunition and a Beretta pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition in it.
“We are making a frantic effort to arrest others who have escaped. It is important to note that we want to thank those who saw the incident and quickly called the police.
“This bothers me with the importance of seeing something and immediately reporting it. We are begging everybody not to just stand by and watch when an incident happens without taking action. Notice any action taking place, robbery taking place; call the control room immediately, and the police will help.
“So I want to thank the person that called us to action immediately. I will make a frantic effort to pick others who escaped from the scene of the incident.“