Tension has enveloped the Federal Civil Service following the abduction of six Directors from the Federal Ministry of Defence by armed men along the Kabba–Lokoja highway.
The incident, which occurred on November 10, 2025, involved senior officers travelling from Lagos to Abuja for a Directorate-level promotion examination. They were reportedly ambushed in what sources described as a carefully coordinated attack.
The kidnap has sent shockwaves through the Ministry of Defence and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), raising renewed fears over the safety of public servants travelling long distances for official duties.
In a statement jointly signed by ASCSN President, Shehu Mohammed, and Secretary-General, Joshua Apebo, the union condemned the abduction and assured members that steps were being taken to rescue the victims.
According to the statement, the abducted officers are Mrs. Ngozi Ibeziakor, Mrs. C. Emeribe, Mrs. Helen Ezeakor, Mrs. C. Ladoye, Mrs. J. Onwuzurike, and Mrs. Catherine Essien — all members of the union and staff of Command Day Secondary School, Ojo, Lagos.
“The Ministry of Defence has mobilised security operatives who are working urgently to ensure the safe return of our members,” the statement read. “We have repeatedly advised the Federal Civil Service Commission to decentralise promotion examinations to state levels to reduce the risks faced by workers travelling long distances, especially given the current security situation and poor road conditions.”
Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry is said to have intensified rescue operations, deploying specialised teams to comb suspected hideouts in Kogi State.
In a related development, three youths were killed by suspected bandits in Migil community, Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, despite government warnings to clamp down on attackers.
The victims were reportedly ambushed along Gidan-Raid Road in Kwara, Keana LGA, while on an errand to deliver news of an elder statesman’s death to relatives in a neighbouring community.
Just days earlier, two other youths were shot dead and one abducted during a night raid in Sarkin Noma, a nearby community.
The recent wave of attacks has sparked outrage among residents, many of whom called on world leaders to intervene in Nigeria’s worsening insecurity. At the mass burial held in Duduguru, sympathisers wept openly and urged immediate action to end the killings that have devastated their communities.
The three victims, all natives of Duduguru in Jenkwe Development Area of Keana Council, were laid to rest in a mass burial early yesterday.
