SIX senior directors of the Federal Ministry of Defence have been abducted by gunmen along the Kabba–Lokoja highway in Kogi State, in what is described as one of the most daring kidnappings targeting top government officials in recent times.
The victims identified as Ngozi Ibeziakor, C.A. Emeribe, C. Helen Ezeakor, C.A. Ladoye, J.A. Onwuzurike, and Catherine O. Essien were reportedly travelling from Lagos to Abuja on Monday to attend a promotion examination when their convoy was ambushed.
According to eyewitnesses, the assailants, believed to be part of a well-armed kidnapping syndicate operating in the area, forced the officials out of their vehicles at gunpoint and led them into a nearby forest.
The abandoned cars were later recovered by security personnel.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) confirmed the abduction early on Thursday, describing it as a “direct assault on the Nigerian state” and urging the Federal Government to act decisively to protect civil servants on official assignments.
“These are not just ordinary commuters, they are senior government officials on duty. This incident highlights the growing threat to national service delivery,” the ASCSN said in a statement.
Security operatives from the Nigerian Army, police, and local vigilante groups have since launched a coordinated search and rescue mission, combing the thick forests around Ayere, Kabba-Bunu, and Obajana for clues on the kidnappers’ hideout.
However, as of press time, there had been no official statement from the Ministry of Defence, fueling anxiety among colleagues and relatives of the abducted officials.
A senior security source told News Point Nigeria that intelligence suggests the attackers may have been part of a larger network operating across Kogi’s western axis.
“The terrain gives them cover dense forests, weak patrol presence, and local informants make it easy for gangs to ambush travellers, especially at night,” the source said.
Recent months have seen a surge in violent attacks along the Kabba–Lokoja corridor, with several incidents of highway abductions and killings. Just last month, gunmen killed a commuter and abducted several others near the Ayere-Kabba junction.
In early January 2025, residents of Odo-Ape community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area staged a protest after suspected kidnappers murdered two farmers, blocking the busy highway for hours.
The Kogi State Government later disclosed that it had uncovered a vast criminal network involving local collaborators who aided kidnapping gangs across Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, and Yagba East. A subsequent raid on Bunu Forest led to the arrest of 26 suspects linked to ransom logistics and weapons supply.
Despite these efforts, insecurity persists across the region. In June 2025, gunmen attacked a commercial bus along the Lokoja–Kabba/Obajana road, killing one passenger and injuring six others in an attempted mass abduction.
“When senior defence officials can be kidnapped on a federal highway, it sends a chilling message, no one is truly safe,” a security commentator, Nuhu Madaki told News Point Nigeria.