Tragedy struck in Kubwa, Abuja, Thursday night as armed assailants invaded the home of Ifeanyi Ogbu, a medical doctor, killed him and abducted his three children, who are still missing.

Residents said the attack occurred late on October 3, when the gunmen stormed Dr. Ogbu’s residence, shooting sporadically before forcing their way in. The doctor was reportedly shot at close range while attempting to protect his family. The assailants then whisked away his children to an unknown destination.

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The incident has thrown the community into mourning and heightened fears over rising insecurity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It comes barely days after a violent armed robbery in Katampe, another Abuja district, where residents were robbed at gunpoint in their homes.

Kabiru Adamu, a security analysts said that the two incidents indicate a disturbing trend of escalating urban violence and growing sophistication among criminal gangs operating in the FCT’s suburbs.

“What we’re seeing is a pattern of coordinated criminal operations targeting residential areas”, Adamu said.

As of Saturday, the police have not issued an official statement on the Kubwa killing and abduction, though residents have called for immediate deployment of more patrol teams and intelligence units to curb the wave of attacks.

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Adamu also noted that Abuja, long considered one of Nigeria’s safer urban areas, has in recent months witnessed a spike in kidnappings, home invasions, and other violent crimes developments that have raised concerns about the government’s ability to protect citizens even in the nation’s capital.

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Ogbu’s children remain unknown, with family members and neighbours appealing to authorities to intensify search and rescue efforts.