Four adult males and one female have drowned while attempting to escape from being kidnapped by bandits at Chakumi village in Gurdi ward of Abaji Council Area of Abuja.
The village chief of Chakumi, Mohammed Magaji, told newsmen that the incident happened around 11 am on Wednesday.
He said the deceased victims, including a middle-aged housewife was working on the farm when they sighted the bandits.
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Immediately, they rushed to board a canoe to escape to the neigbouring Daku village but while trying to cross the river Gurara, the boat capsized.
Magaji decried the activities of bandits in the area as farmers could no longer go to their farms over the fear of being kidnapped by bandits.
On his side, Vice-Chairman of Abaji LGA, Ibrahim Abubakar disclosed that one of his relatives was among the victims.
“As I am talking to you right now, the corpses of the victims have not been recovered yet as fishermen from Daku and my village are still searching for the corpses.
“In fact, one of my relatives was among those that got drowned and their bodies are yet to be recovered up till this moment that I am talking to you, he said.
DSP Adeh Josephine, the spokesperson of the FCT police command was yet to reply to the text message sent to her on the incident as of press time.
