Police operatives in the Federal Capital Territory have rescued a man from an angry mob after he was allegedly caught attempting to abduct a five-year-old child in Kuje Area Council, Abuja.
The incident occurred on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at about 2:46pm in Angwan Lado, Kuje, following a distress call to the police.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said operatives from the Kuje Division were immediately deployed to the scene, where they rescued the suspect, identified as Bashir Usman, from the mob.
Adeh, in a statement on Tuesday, said preliminary investigations revealed that Usman was being assaulted over allegations that he attempted to abduct the child in front of her residence.
She said the suspect had been taken into protective custody, while investigations were being expanded “to unravel the extent of his activities and apprend any accomplices who may be involved.”
The police spokesperson said the Command was concerned about the resort to mob action, warning that such acts could undermine the justice process.
According to her, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, strongly discouraged residents from taking the law into their own hands.
The CP “strongly discourages members of the public from taking the law into their own hands or engaging in jungle justice,” Adeh said, adding that “such acts are criminal and tantamount to murder, under the law.”
The Command urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant and pay close attention to the safety and wellbeing of their children and wards.
