A police officer was killed in the early hours of Thursday, 20th November, 2025, during a fierce gun battle with suspected kidnappers who attacked the Guto community in Bwari, on the outskirts of the nation’s capital.
According to a statement from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, approximately 30 armed assailants invaded the community around 1:10 a.m. with the intent to abduct a resident and his family.
Police spokesperson, Superintendent Josephine Adeh, said operatives from the Bwari Division’s Surveillance Team and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Special Intervention Squad were swiftly deployed to the scene.
“The officers responded with superior firepower, engaging the attackers in a heated gun duel,” Adeh stated. The confrontation resulted in the “neutralization” of two of the attackers, while the remaining assailants reportedly fled into nearby bushes and mountains.
Tragically, one police officer sustained a fatal gunshot wound during the exchange. He was rushed to the Bwari General Hospital where a medical doctor confirmed his death.
“The Command deeply regrets this loss, as the officer paid the supreme price in the line of duty,” the police statement read.
In response to the incident, the FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, has deployed additional personnel to the area to bolster security. The police confirmed that normalcy has been restored to the community and that a detailed investigation has been ordered to apprehend the fleeing perpetrators.
This attack adds to a wave of violent incidents plaguing various parts of the country. Recent weeks have seen a spike in assaults by armed groups in states including Borno, Kebbi, Kwara, and Katsina, leading to numerous deaths and kidnappings.
The deteriorating security situation has placed significant pressure on the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The President recently postponed scheduled foreign trips, a move believed to be connected to the security crisis, following the killing of a brigadier general in Borno and the abduction of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi.
The repeated breaches of security in areas close to the capital have heightened concerns among residents and underscored the persistent challenges faced by the nation’s security apparatus.