According to a local resident named Musa, the assailants launched their attack around 1 am on Saturday, August 17, 2024. The gunmen forcibly entered the hotel, taking all the lodgers hostage.
Sabo Abdullahi, the commander of the local security vigilante group, confirmed that the victims include the hotel proprietor, his younger brother and his wife, the hotel manager, and three guests. The attackers fired gunshots as they fled with their captives, alerting the community to the situation.
“There was only one security hunter nearby, and he fled when he saw the armed men. Unfortunately, our team was stationed in the central part of the town, and by the time we received the news, it was too late to respond,” Abdullahi explained.
The Gauraka community has experienced a series of kidnappings, with at least five incidents reported in the past four months, including one just three weeks ago, according to the Daily Trust.
Residents expressed their frustration and fear over the continued attacks, noting that the abductors often take their victims to forests near the Apo community and other areas along the Ijah-Koro and Ijah-Gwari Roads, which lead to Bwari town in the Federal Capital Territory.
