Abuja, Nigeria — November 12, 2025 l By Dalena Reporters
Nigeria was once again thrown into shock and disbelief after a new wave of coordinated bandit attacks left six senior directors of the Federal Ministry of Defence abducted and three youths dead in Nasarawa State. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, November 10, 2025, has raised renewed fears about the growing reach of armed groups across the country — and the continued vulnerability of both citizens and top government officials.
According to credible reports confirmed by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), the six Defence Ministry directors were travelling from Lagos to Abuja for a scheduled promotion examination when they were ambushed along the Kabba–Lokoja highway, a notorious stretch long plagued by kidnappers.
Those abducted were identified as:
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Mrs. Ngozi Ibeziakor
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Mrs. C. Emeribe
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Mrs. Helen Ezeakor
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Mrs. C. Ladoye
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Mrs. J. Onwuzurike
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Mrs. Catherine Essien
Eyewitnesses told Vanguard and local radio correspondents that the attackers blocked the highway in the late afternoon, forcing vehicles to a halt before opening fire and seizing passengers. Multiple victims reportedly sustained injuries while scrambling for safety.
Security sources in Abuja confirmed that a joint rescue operation involving the Nigerian Army, Police, and DSS has been launched to track down the perpetrators and secure the safe release of the kidnapped officials.
A senior official at the Ministry of Defence, who spoke under condition of anonymity, described the attack as “a national embarrassment and a direct assault on the Nigerian state.”
“If senior officers of the Defence Ministry can be abducted in broad daylight, what safety is left for ordinary citizens?” the source lamented.
In a related development, three youths were killed and one person abducted during a separate night assault on Duduguru community in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. Residents said armed bandits stormed the village, shooting sporadically and burning houses before fleeing into nearby bushes.
Community leader Mr. Adamu Aliyu described the attack as “unprovoked and senseless,” calling on state authorities to deploy more security personnel to protect farming communities vulnerable to repeated raids.
“We can no longer sleep with both eyes closed. These killers come anytime they want, and no one stops them,” he said.
The twin incidents have triggered widespread panic in both the civil service and local communities. Civil servants expressed fear that even senior government workers are no longer insulated from the wave of lawlessness spreading across Nigeria’s highways.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) condemned the abduction of its members, urging President Bola Tinubu’s administration to intensify national security efforts and rescue the victims without delay.
Security analysts say the attacks are further evidence of the deepening crisis of insecurity, where armed gangs operate with sophisticated weapons and intelligence networks — often striking at will and vanishing into remote forests that serve as safe havens.
According to security expert Dr. Kabiru Abdullahi, Nigeria’s internal security has reached a “tipping point.”
“What we are witnessing is not just random banditry. These groups have evolved into hybrid criminal-terrorist networks, capable of coordinated attacks on both civilians and government targets,” he said.
Analysts warn that unless the government addresses the underlying enablers — corruption, porous borders, intelligence failures, and community complicity — the kidnapping economy will continue to thrive.
The abduction of Defence Ministry directors has jolted the country’s security establishment, sending a chilling message that no one is untouchable. For families of the victims and the grieving residents of Nasarawa, the latest attacks are grim reminders of Nigeria’s fragile peace.
As of press time, the fate of the six abducted women remains unknown. Security forces continue their search, while Nigerians hold their breath, hoping for a breakthrough.
Until then, the country remains trapped in fear — its highways turned into hunting grounds, its people living between prayers and uncertainty.
Dalena Reporters — Where facts meet humanity.