There was a palpable panic as gunmen abducted six Directors of the Federal Ministry of Defence on their way to Abuja.
According to reports, they were abducted on Monday, November 10, 2025, along the Kaba–Lokoja highway.
The senior officers, who were travelling from Lagos to Abuja for a Directorate-level promotion examination, were intercepted by the assailants in what sources described as a well-coordinated ambush.
The incident, which has sent shockwaves through the Defence Ministry and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), has sparked renewed concerns over the safety of public servants travelling long distances for official duties.
In a statement, the ASCSN President, Shehu Mohammed, and the Secretary-General, Joshua Apebo, condemned the abduction and assured members that efforts were underway to secure the release of the victims.
According to the statement: “Those kidnapped are Mrs. Ngozi Ibeziakor, Mrs. C.A. Emeribe, Mrs. C. Helen Ezeakor, Mrs. C.A. Ladoye, Mrs. J.A. Onwuzurike, and Mrs. Catherine O. Essien. These Directors, who are members of our Union and staff of Command Day Secondary School (CDSS), Ojo, Lagos, were travelling from Lagos to Abuja when they were kidnapped.”
The ASCSN disclosed that the Defence Ministry had already mobilized its security operatives, who are taking urgent steps to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted Directors.
“We have always advised the Federal Civil Service Commission to conduct promotion examinations in the states instead of compelling public service employees to travel long distances to Abuja,” the statement added. “The current security situation and deplorable road conditions expose workers to grave risks
The union urged the government to decentralize all promotion and verification exercises henceforth, warning that continued disregard for safety concerns could lead to further tragedies.
Earlier, on Monday, gunmen attacked a commercial bus along the Kabba-Okene highway in Kogi State and abducted several passengers.
A passenger who narrowly escaped said the attackers opened fire on the vehicle, but when the bullets failed to penetrate, they resorted to using machetes.
“This is how they kidnapped us. They fired at the vehicle, but when the bullet didn’t penetrate, the Fulanis used their machetes,” the survivor said.
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