Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have killed a senior military officer, Col. Abdussalam A. Ude, during an attempted abduction 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 (FCT), initially generating reports that the attack took place in Abuja.
Residents of the area said the assailants stormed the officer’s residence during a heavy downpour and attempted to abduct him.
A community source said the deceased resisted the abduction, prompting the attackers to open fire on him.
“They came during the rain. They wanted to kidnap him, but he resisted. He was shot multiple times,” the source said.
Another resident said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Kurudu visited the scene on Tuesday and evacuated the victim’s body to a morgue.
“The DPO of Kurudu was there earlier today. He took the corpse to a morgue,” the source added.
Reacting to reports linking the incident to the FCT, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command clarified that the attack did not occur within its jurisdiction.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, had earlier said, “This didn’t happen under our jurisdiction. It happened in Nasarawa. Contact the Nasarawa command.”
The spokesperson for the Nasarawa State Police Command, SP Ramhan Nansel, also said he was not immediately aware of the incident when contacted.
However, in a statement issued later on Tuesday, the FCT Police Command said its investigation confirmed that the incident occurred in Badna, New Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
According to the statement, the Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr Ahmed Sanusi, ordered an investigation immediately 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 said.
The command expressed concern over reports attributing the incident to Abuja, saying such reports created unnecessary panic among residents.
“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,” it stated.
The police said the Commissioner of Police had ordered the immediate deployment of operational and intelligence assets 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 added.
The command urged media organisations and members of the public to verify security-related information before publication, noting that unverified reports could undermine public confidence and create unnecessary fear.
Meanwhile, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, said a statement on the incident was being prepared when contacted.
