By Olawale Ajimotokan

Bandits have kidnapped at gun point 11 persons from Rachael Orphanage Home in the Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory FCT.

Reports revealed that the bandits that struck at the orphanage adjacent UBE Junior Secondary School in Naharati area of the Council, abducted seven orphans and four workers of the orphanage.

The abducted orphans were Jacob Ukpas, Melody Ijeh, Bernard Itim, Isaac Matthew, Elizabeth Andrew, Dayo Udeh and Laruba Emmanuel.

Also abducted were three orphanage workers: Rukayyat Salihu, Suwaiba Momoh, Momoh Jimoh and the security guard, Joseph Matthew.

The gang, said to be heavily armed, carried the stealth raid on the orphanage dormitory after forcing the gate open.

Sources at Abaji Area Council attributed the kidnapping to the sudden withdrawal of the anti-kidnapping Joint Taskforce (JTF) last week by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the FCT Command of the Nigerian Police in circumstances attributed to shortage of funds.

The JTF, which was receiving its funding through the security department of the FCTA, was set up in the first week of October 2020 to provide security in the FCT.

The squad was credited for improved security and reduction in cases of kidnapping in the Kuje and Abaji axis as well as deployment of security around Toto hills in Nasarawa state and the Chikara/Gegu axis in Kogi state against kidnapping.