Panic as Bandits Abduct Six Defence Ministry Directors and kill three youths in a recent attack in Nasarawa State.
Panic has spread within the Federal Civil Service following a coordinated attack by bandits on November 10, 2025, along the Kabba-Lokoja highway in Kogi State, resulting in the abduction of six senior directors from Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Defence. The kidnapped officials—Mrs. Ngozi Ibeziakor, Mrs. C.A. Emeribe, Mrs. C. Helen Ezeakor, Mrs. C.A. Ladoye, Mrs. J.A. Onwuzurike, and Mrs. Catherine O. Essien—were traveling from Lagos to Abuja for a Directorate-level promotion examination when ambushed.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has condemned the attack, calling for decentralization of promotion exams to prevent such dangerous long-distance travel amid the ongoing insecurity. The Ministry of Defence has mobilized security forces and deployed specialized teams to comb suspected bandit hideouts in Kogi State in efforts to rescue the abducted officials.
Meanwhile, in Nasarawa State, three youths were killed in separate incidents linked to bandit attacks in rural areas, exacerbating community fears. The victims, including a local prince from the Migil community in Obi Local Government Area, were ambushed while on routine tasks. Their deaths have sparked calls from residents for increased government protection and even foreign intervention to end the violence.
Security agencies have yet to make arrests in connection with the abductions or killings. The combination of these attacks reflects the deteriorating security situation in parts of Nigeria, deeply affecting public servants and rural communities alike and heightening demands for more robust government action.
