ABUJA: The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday launched a clearance operation at the Cashew Plantation/Forest in Kpaduma-Kobi village, located along the highbrow Asokoro-Guzape corridor. The move followed an attempted kidnap of a couple in the area on September 15.
The administration disclosed that surveillance drones will be deployed to monitor the forests, working alongside local hunters and conventional security personnel to enhance safety.
Speaking during the operation, the FCTA Secretary of Command and Control, Dr. Peter Olumiji, confirmed that the couple was successfully rescued during the kidnap attempt. However, a member of the vigilance team tragically lost his life in the process.
> “The Commissioner of Police immediately mobilized his men to the scene, and both victims were successfully rescued. Sadly, one of the vigilantes paid the supreme price,” Olumiji stated.
He explained that the forest had long served as a transit route for kidnappers moving through Karu, Jikwoyi, Orozo, and Kurudu, stressing that the clearance was vital to dismantle criminal hideouts.
“As part of the measures, a 24-hour police post will be established here, alongside solar-powered streetlights, to prevent further incidents,” he added.
Olumiji further noted that intelligence gathering was ongoing to track down local collaborators suspected of aiding kidnappers. He revealed that surveillance drones would be deployed across other forests to complement the recently approved forest hunters by the FCT Security Council.
Director of Development Control in the FCTA, Mukhtar Galadima, described the clearance as part of wider efforts to reclaim “ungoverned spaces” within the territory.
“About a week ago, a kidnap case was traced to this location. That is why we are here—to ensure all the trees are cleared. Similar operations have already taken place in Apo Resettlement, Guzape, and last year at the Mabushi Scavengers’ Colony,” Galadima said.
On concerns about compensation, he disclosed that community leaders had endorsed the exercise, noting that villagers themselves had also fallen victim to abductions.
Galadima added that after the clearance, relevant agencies such as the police and Abuja Environmental Protection Board would be recommended for permanent presence in the area to ensure both security and maintenance.
A resident of Kobi village, Iliya Iwadagba, recounted how insecurity had worsened in the community over the past five years due to criminal infiltration.
“Actually, we have been living here for a long time and we did not experience this kind of thing. But five years back now, some unwanted people started coming here, and we could no longer pass this route because anytime in the evening when you pass there, people will just come out from these bushes and attack innocent people.
“They killed one man and left his car, they kidnapped another, and recently, our vigilante was shot while trying to secure the area.
“This thing is getting too much, and we are calling on the government to clear this bush and provide security. Even we who are working here cannot operate freely because we always fear something will happen. Our businesses no longer thrive as before because everyone is scared of passing this route,” he lamented.
