How Armed Robbers Killed Gallant Security Man Guarding Abuja Estate

In the early hours of Sunday, July 23, residents of Efab Estate in Apo, Abuja were thrown into mourning after four armed men gruesomely murdered the chief security officer, Abdullraimi Abraham, who defended the estate with his life.

Abraham, in his 30s, was a gallant security man who had defended the estate against men of the underworld several times, according to residents.

Chima Onwuzulike, chairman of the estate, said Abraham, a father of one, was a dependable security officer who had secured the estate with his life.

The attack that claimed his life was the second violent attack on him by armed robbers who saw him as an obstacle to operating in the estate. He was first attacked in November last year after he foiled an armed robbery operation in the estate.

The attackers macheted him in the head but he survived miraculously, and resumed almost immediately.

But last Sunday, Abraham could not survive the repeated stabs from three unmasked men in their early 20s, videos obtained by THE WHISTLER showed.

The fourth and eldest of the criminals had chased James Daniel — a laundry man whose name Abraham kept calling for help — intohis compound, where he was stabbed in the thighs.

The criminals had stabbed four men from different households who attempted to rescue Abraham while he cried for help at about 3:20 am on Sunday. Residents suspected that Abraham may have been a target having prevented robbery attacks in the last two years. 

Isiaka Hassan, a security guard whose compound was the final destination for the criminals, was also asked to return inside when he came out to help Abraham. His residence was about 50 meters away from Jacob’s gate where Abraham was hacked to death.

The assailants had followed Hassan to his compound and demanded that he give them access to the main building, and when he couldn’t, they stabbed him thrice, one of which had penetrated his thigh.

“But even when they entered the compound, they attacked me with a gun and asked me to lie down but I refused. Then, one of them picked a machete and struck me on my hand,” pointing behind his right shoulder, “but it didn’t succeed,” he told THE WHISTLER.

The criminals however forcefully made their the way into the building after breaking the door. The occupants — one aged mother, another woman, and at least eight children — were traumatized as the robbers demanded their phones and other valuable items.

Items carted away include an unverified number of phones and N60,000. Our correspondent understand that the owner of the residence had just traveled out of the country.

THE WHISTLER could not speak to the affected family because the aged mother was leaving for the hospital at the time our correspondent arrived. She was in the vehicle with a lady wearing a hijab throwing up behind the driver’s seat. 

The Estate Manager, Frank who spoke to THE WHISTLER said police operatives had arrived at the estate nearly two hours after the incident occurred. “They showed up at about past 6 am to take a record of the incident and identify the entry and exit routes of the attackers,” Frank added.

Our correspondent also discovered that the assailants came through the rear fence area (bordering the Apo Expressway) of an unoccupied building. The fence is also accessible from the expressway due to its low height.

The Estate Chairperson, Onwuzulike told THE WHISTLER that the management was considering stringent measures to ensure that all unoccupied buildings were either occupied or taken over by the estate authorities.

He also lamented the failure of the police in the FCT to yield to their plea for reinforcement of security in the estate. According to him, the recent attack on the estate and the death of Abraham has made the estate vulnerable to attacks because of the role he had played in the past.

The estate called on the police to expand its surveillance to the Apo Express road at night to deter criminals from invading any residence in the area.

When contacted, the police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh said operatives of the Apo Division had responded to the distress call from the estate management but had difficulty locating the precise estate where the incident had occurred.

“The estate called the division late, and by the time they arrived, they couldn’t find the exact Efab estate because Efab has about three estates in the area. However, when the police got there they realised that it was a case of robbery and investigation is still ongoing,” Adeh said.

Frank had countered the police, saying, “From my estate to their station is just a 3-minute drive but no blame. You know now police operate“.