Just when residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) thought they could go to bed with their eyes closed because of the reduction in crime and criminality, the menace of insecurity, it seems, is staging a comeback in the nation’s capital, Abuja.

On 13 July 2025, the body of 23-year-old Grace Godwin was discovered by the roadside in Jabi, Abuja, in what was suspected to be a one-chance-related murder.

It was gathered that Godwin’s body was found early Saturday morning after she had reportedly boarded a commercial bus on Friday evening. Godwin, a fuel attendant at a Mobil Filling Station in Mabushi, was discovered unconscious near Iya Abubakar Street at about 6:00 a.m.

Preliminary findings indicated that she boarded a vehicle around 8:53 p.m. on Friday, believed to have been operated by a one-chance syndicate. The suspects later contacted her family around 11:56 p.m. demanding a ransom.

This case bore similarities to another incident reported on June 18, when a young woman, Aladi Johnson, also known as Tessy, was found unconscious with her hands tied in a hotel in Gwarinpa after checking in with an unidentified man. That case also triggered public outrage after a video of the scene surfaced online.

In another instance, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Police Force came out to confirm and give clarification on the tragedy that took place in Abuja on September 3, 2025, when a man, his wife, and two others were involved in a car crash, linked to the activities of touts popularly known as Agbero, which residents of the FCT lament now constitute insecurity on the streets and roads of the nation’s capital.

The family was traveling in a private car when the driver briefly stopped at the Berger Roundabout in Wuse to pick up a relative. A confrontation reportedly ensued with some Agberos at the location, during which one of them allegedly attempted to interfere with the vehicle.

In the struggle that followed, the driver lost control of the car, which rammed into a bridge pillar at Mabushi. The impact killed the man and his wife Instantly. Onlookers mobbed the Agberos, leaving two of them dead and one critically injured.

The Command’s Spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, in a statement, said: ”The FCT Police Command regretfully wishes to confirm a fatal motor vehicle accident that occurred on 3rd September 2025 at about 1:30 p.m. along Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway by Mabushi Under Bridge.

“Preliminary findings indicate that a grey Toyota Highlander, registration number ABJ 206 EC, driven by one Emeka Ehekweme with his wife, was accosted by three unidentified suspects who forcefully entered the vehicle near Berger Junction, Utako. In the ensuing struggle for control of the steering, the vehicle lost control, struck a parked Mazda vehicle and somersaulted into a bridge pillar.

“The Highlander’s driver, his wife, and two of the assailants were confirmed dead on arrival at the National Hospital, while a third suspect is currently receiving treatment. The driver of the Mazda, one Suleman Mohammed, sustained no life-threatening injuries.”

In response to the rising rate of crime and criminality in Abuja, the FCT Minister, NyesomWike, recently inaugurated a joint security operation, comprising police and other security agencies, to tackle the menace. The operation was code-named Operation Sweep Abuja.

As Operation Sweep Abuja makes the city centre uncomfortable and uninhabitable for miscreants and hoodlums, they seem to have relocated to communities at the fringes, where they now terrorise residents and dispossess victims of valuables.

Since the miscreants are being dislodged from the city centre, residents in communities around satellite towns now sleep with one eye open as the gangs operate in far-to-reach locations, freely carrying out robberies at night.

Speaking with the Director, Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, who chairs the enforcement team, during one of their operations, he said the team was committed to ridding the FCT of the activities of miscreants. He assured that they would touch all known black spots and flush them out.

In the meantime, residents in communities are crying out. The worst hit areas are Kurudu, Kpeyegyi, GidanDaya, GidanMangoro, and Orozo communities in the FCT.

A lady who didn’t want to be named told the Nigerian Tribune that last week, miscreants numbering about 15 stormed Zone D, Gidan Mangoro community, popularly known as Angwan Mada. “They robbed house to house, moving room to room. They broke our burglar proofs and windows in some cases and entered our houses,” she narrated.

Another victim, who also pleaded anonymity for security reasons, said the criminals wielded machetes, small axes, iron cutters, sledgehammers, and other weapons. He said when they couldn’t remove his door, they broke the window and gained entry. Out of fear, he ran out through the back door, threw his 17-year-old daughter over the fence, and jumped after her into the bush where they hid till daybreak. He sustained injuries on both legs.Although his daughter was unhurt, she was traumatised.

Another victim, while telling her ordeal, said the robbers collected their phones, ATM cards, cash, and other valuables they could find. He added that the attack on the community was the second in one month.

A female resident of Orozo also said the “bad boys” invaded their area in large numbers, possibly up to 50, wielding weapons. They robbed house to house for about three hours. “Going by the kind of confidence they came with, it’s like they knew that nothing can happen,” she lamented.

She added that when she tried to reach out to a police officer at the Force Headquarters, he simply sent her another contact number, which she could not call because, at that very moment, the criminals were already breaking her door. “They had enough time to go from room to room in the area and left when they were fully satisfied and done,” she said.

Also, one Godwin Arase narrated their ordeal in an estate at the Orozo–Karshi road in GidanDaya. The estate is opposite a popular drinking joint called Forest, near the Loyola Jesuit College.

Arase said the robbers used sledgehammers to break burglar proofs and doors to gain entry. He described the attack as “too sophisticated for ordinary miscreants.” According to him, the robbers shot sporadically, overpowered security guards, and robbed residents with ease. “It was only after they left that police sirens blared,” he lamented.

When asked if any official complaint was made, Arase said they didn’t see the need, since a police station was nearby yet the response was so late.

These are just a few of the incidents around the Jikwoyi–Orozo axis lately. However, the consensus among residents is that security agencies should step up night patrols in these areas to at least scare away criminals and give them respite. They also called on Operation Sweep Abuja not to concentrate only on the city centre, as hoodlums now give sleepless nights to those in satellite communities.

Recently, in Wuse 2 around Chocolate Mall, a woman was attacked in her car. The assailants stole her two phones before fleeing. Residents gave chase, caught the attackers, and dealt with them before the police arrived — an incident that bore resemblance to the Mabushi tragedy.

In another development, Kpaduma 3, Asokoro Extension, was thrown into chaos when suspected kidnappers attacked houses and exchanged fire with local vigilantes on Monday night.

The attack, which lasted several hours, was described as one of the most terrifying incidents in the community, as residents heard gunshots and even grenade-like blasts. Eyewitnesses said the invaders, believed to be from nearby Kobi village, injured several people, raped two girls, and killed a vigilante identified simply as Bako.

One resident said the targeted house had long been identified as needing security upgrades, but the landlord allegedly failed to act.

Confirming the incident, FCT Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, quoted Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Adewale, as saying:

“On 15th September 2025, at about 9:15 p.m., the FCT Police Command received a distress call reporting gunshots along Kobi Village Road in Kpaduma III. Acting swiftly, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ajao S. Adewale, psc, mnips, personally led a response team comprising the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Rapid Response Squad, and the Divisional Police Officer, Asokoro Division, to the scene.

“On sighting the police team, the assailants opened fire, using two female victims as human shields to escape. The police team however continued to engage them in a fierce chase, successfully rescuing the two female victims unhurt.

“Regrettably, two members of the community vigilante sustained gunshot injuries. They were immediately evacuated to the National Hospital, where one was confirmed dead by a medical doctor, while the other remains under medical care and is responding to treatment.

“The Commissioner of Police commended the bravery of the officers involved, while extending heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased vigilante. He further urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report strange faces or suspicious activities within their environment for a swift police response through the Command’s emergency lines: 08032003913, 07057337653, and 08061581938.”

The FCT Administration, under the watch of Minister Wike, has introduced several measures to curb insecurity. On 16 April 2024, the administration handed over 100 motorcycles to security outfits in the territory to enhance operations in hard-to-reach areas. The Vigilante Group of Nigeria received 60, the Police 30, while the DSS and NSCDC got five each.

Earlier, in July 2024, 50 operational vehicles equipped with communication gadgets were also donated to security agencies. The Police Command got 24 vehicles, NSCDC eight, FCT Administration six, DSS five, while the Guard Brigade received three. Other agencies, including the Air Force, Navy, Immigration, and NDLEA, received one each.

Again, on 28 August 2025, the Minister reconvened the G-7 Security Forum — a platform established in 2007 bringing together security chiefs from the FCT, Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kaduna, Benue, and Plateau states to share intelligence and review threats.

Wike urged agencies to intensify joint operations, stressing that “the nature of threats has become increasingly dynamic, and criminal elements are exploiting technology and porous boundaries. Only through coordinated operations can we overcome them.”

For residents, however, the reality remains grim. Fear and frustration dominate daily conversations, especially in satellite communities where robberies, kidnappings, and violent attacks are becoming routine.

As one Orozo resident put it: “We don’t need miracles; we just need visible patrols, quicker response, and a sense that someone is watching over us at night.”

For now, insecurity in the FCT has not only resurfaced but appears to be spreading, leaving residents anxious about when and where the next attack might occur. (Saturday Tribune)