GUNMEN on Monday night killed a senior military officer, identified as Col. Abdussalam A. Ude, during a suspected kidnap attempt at his residence in Badna, New Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
News Point Nigeria reports that the incident occurred in the border community adjoining the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), initially prompting reports that the attack took place in Abuja before security authorities confirmed it happened within Nasarawa State.
According to reports, the assailants stormed the officer’s residence during a heavy downpour and attempted to abduct him. However, Col. Ude reportedly resisted the abduction and was shot multiple times by the attackers.
A journalist residing in the area and a community leader confirmed the incident on Tuesday.
“They came during the rain. They wanted to kidnap him, but he resisted. He was shot multiple times,” one of the sources said.
The source further disclosed that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Kurudu visited the scene on Tuesday and evacuated the officer’s body to a morgue.
“The DPO of Kurudu was there earlier today. He took the corpse to a morgue,” the source added.
When contacted earlier, the spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, clarified that the incident did not occur within the command’s jurisdiction.
“This didn’t happen under our jurisdiction. It happened in Nasarawa. Contact the Nasarawa command,” she said.
The spokesperson for the Nasarawa State Police Command, SP Ramhan Nansel, also stated at the time that he was not aware of the incident.
However, in a statement issued later on Tuesday, the FCT Police Command confirmed that its investigation established that the attack occurred in Badna, New Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, and not within the Federal Capital Territory.
The command disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, ordered an investigation immediately after reports of the incident surfaced online.
“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,” the statement read.
The police expressed concern over what it described as false reports attributing the incident to Abuja, warning that such publications unnecessarily created panic among residents of the nation’s capital.
“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,” the statement added.
The command also disclosed that the Commissioner of Police had ordered the deployment of operational and intelligence assets to communities bordering Nasarawa State to prevent criminal elements from infiltrating the Federal Capital Territory.
“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 urged media organisations and members of the public to verify security-related information before publication, warning that unverified reports undermine public confidence and create unnecessary fear.
Meanwhile, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, said when contacted that a statement on the incident was being prepared.