FCT Police Arrest 19 Cultists After Gun Duel, Mourn Fallen Officers

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested 19 suspected cultists following a violent gun battle in the Apo-Waru axis of Abuja.

This was revealed in a statement by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, who said the suspects were apprehended during a joint security patrol in response to repeated complaints from residents of Bakassi Yimitu Village in the area.

According to the statement, the operation, which took place on Wednesday, July 24, 2025, was carried out by a combined team of police operatives, local vigilantes, and hunters. The patrol team encountered a gathering suspected to be cultists, who immediately opened fire on sighting the security operatives. A gun duel ensued, leading to the arrest of 19 suspects, while others fled with various degrees of injuries.

Sadly, one police officer and a local vigilante sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Shortly after the arrests, the fleeing suspects reportedly regrouped and launched an attack on the Waru Police Outstation in an attempt to free their detained accomplices. They vandalized sections of the facility, destroyed three police patrol Hilux vehicles, and damaged six privately owned cars within the premises. Reinforcements were swiftly deployed, and the attackers were repelled.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao S. Adewale, condemned the attacks and vowed that the Command would not rest until the remaining members of the gang are arrested and prosecuted. He warned that any assault on police personnel or formations would attract the full wrath of the law.

The police urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity via the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08028940883.