Defence Ministry Hit as Bandits Seize Six Directors, Kill Three in Nasarawa

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…the incident sent shockwaves through the Ministry of Defence and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria.

NASARAWA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Fear has spread across the Federal Civil Service following the abduction of six directors of the Federal Ministry of Defence by armed men on the Kabba-Lokoja highway.

The incident occurred even as bandits killed at least three youths in Migil, defying the state government’s threat of stern action against offenders.

The abduction of the six Defence Directors reportedly occurred on November 10, 2025.

The senior officers were said to be travelling from Lagos to Abuja to participate in a Directorate-level promotion examination when they were intercepted by the gunmen in what sources described as a well-coordinated ambush.

The incident, which has sent shockwaves through the Ministry of Defence and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), has reignited concerns over the safety of public servants who undertake long-distance travel for official duties.

In a joint statement, ASCSN President, Shehu Mohammed, and Secretary-General, Joshua Apebo, condemned the abduction and assured members that efforts were underway to secure the release of the victims.

According to the statement, “Those kidnapped are Mrs. Ngozi Ibeziakor, Mrs. C. Emeribe, Mrs. Helen Ezeakor, Mrs. C. Ladoye, Mrs. J. Onwuzurike, and Mrs. Catherine Essien. These Directors, who are members of our union and staff of Command Day Secondary School (CDSS), Ojo, Lagos, were travelling from Lagos to Abuja when they were kidnapped.”

The association disclosed that the Defence Ministry had already mobilised security operatives, who are taking urgent steps to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted Directors.

The statement further read: “We have repeatedly advised the Federal Civil Service Commission to decentralise promotion examinations to the states rather than compel public servants to travel long distances to Abuja. The current security situation and poor road conditions expose workers to unnecessary danger.”

The Ministry of Defence has, in the meantime, intensified its search for the abducted officials, with specialized security units combing suspected hideouts within Kogi State.

Also, Tragedy struck along Gidan-Raid Road, Kwara, in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, when three youths were attacked and killed by gunmen.

The victims were reportedly on an errand sent by elders of their clan to convey the news of the death of an elder statesman to his relatives in a neighbouring community.

It was also recalled that, two days earlier, two youths were shot dead and another abducted during a night raid in Sarkin Noma, a nearby community. The abducted youth is said to remain in the custody of his captors.

The recent spate of attacks and killings across Nasarawa communities has left residents in fear, prompting many to appeal to President Donald Trump to include Nasarawa State in his plan to rid the country of terrorists.

Reacting to the tragedy, many sympathisers at the mass burial of the three slain youths in Duduguru wept openly, urging President Donald Trump to expedite his proposed intervention aimed at eradicating terrorism in Nigeria.

While some residents opposed Trump’s reported plans for military action, others maintained that he represented the only hope of ending the persistent wave of killings devastating communities across the country.

The three victims, all natives of Duduguru in the Jenkwe Development Area of Keana Local Government Council, were laid to rest in a mass burial conducted in the early hours of yesterday.