Gunmen kill senior Army officer in suspected kidnap attempt

A senior Nigerian Army officer, Colonel Abdussalam A. Ude, was killed by gunmen during an attempted kidnapping at his residence in Badna, Nasarawa State. The incident occurred Monday night in a community bordering the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), initially leading to reports that the attack had taken place in Abuja.

“

They came during the rain. They wanted to kidnap him, but he resisted. He was shot multiple times.

According to witnesses, the assailants stormed the officer's home during a heavy downpour with the intention of abducting him. Colonel Ude reportedly resisted the kidnapping attempt, which led to him being shot multiple times by the gunmen. A journalist and a community leader in the area confirmed the details of the attack to The PUNCH.

“

This didn’t happen under our jurisdiction. It happened in Nasarawa. Contact the Nasarawa command.

Following the incident, the Divisional Police Officer of Kurudu visited the scene and arranged for the evacuation of the victim's body to a morgue. Initially, the FCT Police Command stated the incident did not fall within their jurisdiction, directing inquiries to the Nasarawa State Police Command. However, the Nasarawa command spokesperson also initially reported being unaware of the event.

“

Investigations revealed that the incident occurred in Badna, New Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, and not within the jurisdiction of the FCT Police Command as falsely portrayed in the circulating publications.

Later on Tuesday, the FCT Police Command issued a statement confirming that their investigation established the attack occurred in Badna, Nasarawa State, not within the FCT. The command expressed concern over media outlets that falsely attributed the incident to Abuja, stating it created unnecessary panic and misinformation. The Commissioner of Police has ordered an investigation and the deployment of operational and intelligence assets to border communities to prevent further infiltration by criminal elements into the FCT.

“

The command is concerned that some blogs and media outlets, in an attempt to gain traction, have deliberately attributed the incident to the FCT, thereby creating unnecessary panic, heightening public anxiety, and misinforming residents of the nation’s capital.