When retired Nigerian Army officer, Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Michael Eneware, told his captors he could no longer keep walking, they responded with a gunshot to his chest.
Believing they had killed him, the suspected terrorists abandoned him in the bush and disappeared into the darkness with another victim. But against all odds, Eneware survived.

Now recovering from the traumatic experience, the former soldier is recounting the terrifying events of that night, raising fresh concerns about the growing activities of terrorist and kidnapping gangs in communities on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The attack occurred in the early hours of July 29 in Karshi, Abuja. Eneware’s neighbour was abducted during the raid and was later released after a ransom was reportedly paid.

Speaking with The Guardian, Eneware, a public relations professional who last served at the Nigerian Army War College, Abuja, recalled how heavily armed men stormed his neighbourhood shortly after 1:00 a.m., moving from house to house in search of people to kidnap.
“They came to my house around 1:00 a.m. They entered our neighbourhood. I was not really their target, but they needed people to kidnap because it is money they are looking for,” he said.

According to him, the attackers took advantage of an unfinished perimeter fence to gain access to his compound before forcing their way into the house.
“They were shooting, breaking doors and destroying property. They dragged me out of my house into the bush with guns, machetes and cutlasses.”

Eneware, who previously served with the Directorate of Army Public Relations (DAPR), said his wife and children escaped unharmed after hiding during the invasion.
“My wife hid somewhere with the children. They didn’t touch my family. Their target was to take people away,” he said.

As the gunmen marched him and his neighbour through the bush, Eneware said he became too exhausted to continue.
“I told them I couldn’t go any further. One of them kept hitting me with an iron rod, but I kept saying, ‘I can’t move.'”

His inability to keep up, he believes, sealed his fate. “I think they realised I was slowing them down. That was when they shot me.”
The bullet struck him in the chest at close range. “They shot me in the chest and left me there. They thought I was dead.”

What happened next still feels like a miracle to him. “By the grace of God, I regained consciousness. Despite the pain and the blood loss, I managed to crawl and walk until I got close to some houses.”
Terrified residents, who had been listening to the sustained gunfire, were initially too frightened to come outside.

“Nobody wanted to open their doors because they were hearing gunshots. Eventually, some young men and security personnel got information and came to my rescue.”
He was rushed to the Nigerian Army Hospital before being transferred to the National Hospital, Abuja, where he received further treatment.

“It was a terrible experience. It is only God that saved me,” he said. His neighbour, who was abducted during the attack, was eventually released after a ransom was reportedly paid.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Eneware expressed disbelief that terrorists could operate so freely in an area many residents had considered relatively safe.

“I never expected to see these people here. When you see them physically, they are the same terrorists whose pictures you see in the media. They are evil people, very evil.”
He warned that the attackers appeared to have carefully studied the area before striking.

“They study the environment. They look for easy access and easy escape routes. They know what they are doing,” he said.
The attack has prompted many residents of the community to strengthen security around their homes by installing surveillance cameras, improving outdoor lighting and reinforcing perimeter fences.

Although he has been discharged from hospital, Eneware said he is still recovering from both the physical injuries and emotional trauma of the attack.
“I am still in pain, but by God’s grace I am getting myself together,” he said.

The incident is the latest in a string of violent attacks on communities surrounding the Federal Capital Territory, renewing concerns over the activities of terrorist and kidnapping gangs operating in forests and rural settlements around Abuja despite ongoing security operations.