Nigeria's army is battling jihadists in the northeast and bandit militias in the northwest
IBTimes NG

Retired brigadier general Uwem Udokwere was killed Saturday in an attack by gunmen at the Sunshine Homes estate in Abuja.

Abuja police spokesperson Josephine Adeh said the armed robbery took place around 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, following which police commissioner Benneth Igweh immediately launched an investigation into the incident.

"Expressing profound condolences to the bereaved family, CP Benneth Igweh assures the family and the public of swift justice, with every effort in conduit to ensure the perpetrators of the atrocious act are apprehended and brought to justice," Adeh said, Premium Times reported.

"Furthermore, the commissioner of police reaffirms the unflinching commitment of the command to amplify the security landscape of the nation's capital, by continually adapting strategies to effectively combat evolving criminal activities."

The spokesperson noted that further updates will be provided in due course.

On the same day, a bunch of armed men kidnapped the parish priest of St. Raymond Catholic Church Damba located in Gusau in Zamfara State, Revd. Fr. Mikah Suleiman.

Spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command Yazid Abubakar said that the priest was kidnapped around 3:00 a.m. on Saturday from his home in the Damba area of Gusau. He noted that the kidnapping was not immediately reported to the police.

However, the command has mobilized a tactical squad to track down the kidnappers and secure the safe release of the priest.

"Yes, the incident happened early hour of today, the Reverend Father was kidnapped in his residence, we were not informed when the incident happened but what I gathered was that the man stays alone not in the church," he said, Channels TV reported.

"We have deployed our tactical squad to go after the kidnappers with the aim of rescuing the victim unhurt."

The Defense Headquarters in March said the Nigerian Military has killed 212 terrorists, captured 253 and rescued 244 kidnapped hostages in various operations across the country.

Abduction is not new in Nigeria, as the country is suffering from a kidnap epidemic. From July 2022 to June 2023 alone, 3,620 people have been kidnapped in the country.