Insecurity around the Federal Capital Territory worsened Tuesday night after gunmen kidnapped Isah Ellams, Head of Station at Raypower Abuja 100.5FM, in Karshi, Nasarawa State.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrived around 11 p.m. in a Toyota Camry and laid in wait. Ellams was abducted moments after he stepped out to switch off his generator. The gunmen also took his neighbour’s daughter.
Residents reported hearing about 10 gunshots during the attack. Local vigilantes who tried to repel the assailants were overpowered, sources said.
As of the time of filing this report, the abductors have contacted Ellams’ family, demanding ₦18 million for his release and ₦30 million for the teenage girl. Family and friends are making efforts to raise the funds, sources close to the family said.
This is not the first incident in the area. Residents recalled a similar abduction about a year ago and are now calling for increased police presence. Some neighbours said Nigerian Army patrol teams usually cover the axis at night but arrived about five minutes after the attackers left.
Karshi, though officially in Nasarawa State, functions as an Abuja suburb. The town is only 15 km from Apo and 28 km from Abuja’s Central Area, with many residents crossing into the FCT in under five minutes via the Karshi-Ara-Apo Road. The area is home to civil servants and workers who commute daily to Abuja due to cheaper housing.
“Karshi is Nasarawa in name. In reality, it’s Abuja’s doorstep,” one resident said.
As of press time, the FCT Police Command and Nasarawa State Police Command had not issued official statements. The whereabouts of Ellams and the abducted girl remain unknown.
