Gunmen kill senior Army officer in suspected kidnap attempt in Nasarawa

A senior Nigerian Army officer, Colonel Abdussalam A. Ude, has been killed during a suspected kidnap attempt at his residence in Badna, New Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

 

The incident occurred on Monday night in the border community adjoining the Federal Capital Territory, with initial reports mistakenly indicating that the attack took place in Abuja.

 

According to residents, the gunmen stormed the officer’s residence during a heavy downpour and attempted to abduct him. However, the officer reportedly resisted and was shot multiple times.

 

A resident of the area said the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Kurudu later visited the scene and evacuated the officer’s body to a morgue.

 

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command clarified on Tuesday that the incident did not occur within its jurisdiction.

 

In a statement, the command said investigations confirmed that the attack took place in Badna, Nasarawa State, and not in the Federal Capital Territory as earlier reported.

 

The command expressed concern over what it described as misleading reports linking the incident to Abuja, warning that such reports could create unnecessary panic among residents.

 

It added that the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, had ordered the deployment of operational and intelligence personnel to border communities adjoining Nasarawa State to prevent criminal elements from infiltrating the FCT.

 

“The CP FCT Command has proactively ordered the immediate deployment of operational and intelligence assets to border communities adjoining the FCT with Nasarawa State, to prevent any attempt by criminal elements to infiltrate the Federal Capital Territory or perpetrate any criminal activity within the nation’s capital,” the statement said.

 

The police also urged media organisations and the public to verify security-related information before publication to avoid spreading misinformation.

 

Meanwhile, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, said an official statement on the incident was being prepared.