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.
The incident occurred in the border community adjoining the Federal Capital Territory, initially prompting reports that the attack took place in Abuja.
The assailants reportedly stormed the officer’s residence during a downpour and attempted to abduct him, but he resisted before he was shot multiple times.
A journalist residing in the area and a community leader confirmed the incident to The PUNCH 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 added that the Divisional Police Officer 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.
When contacted earlier, the spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, said 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, had also said he was not aware of the incident at the time.
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 said 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 command expressed concern over what it described as false reports attributing the incident to Abuja, saying such reports unnecessarily created 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 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 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, warning that unverified reports undermine public confidence and create unnecessary fear.
The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, when contacted, said a statement on the matter was being prepared.
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