A senior military officer, Col. Abdussalam A. Ude, was shot dead by suspected kidnappers who attacked his residence in Badna, New Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, on Monday night.
The Punch reported that the attackers reportedly invaded the officer’s home during a heavy downpour in an apparent abduction attempt. However, the officer resisted, prompting the assailants to open fire on him several times before fleeing the scene.
The killing occurred in the border community neighbouring the Federal Capital Territory, leading to initial reports that the incident happened within Abuja.
A resident of the area, who is also a journalist, alongside 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.
According to the source, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Kurudu visited the residence on Tuesday and evacuated the officer’s remains to a morgue.
“The DPO of Kurudu was there earlier today. He took the corpse to a morgue,” the source added.
Speaking earlier on the incident, the spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, clarified that the attack did not occur within the FCT.
“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, also stated that he was unaware of the incident when contacted.
Later on Tuesday, however, the FCT Police Command released a statement confirming that its findings showed the attack took place in Badna, New Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, contrary to reports claiming it occurred in Abuja.
According to the command, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, directed an immediate investigation after online reports of the killing emerged.
“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 police criticised what it described as misleading reports linking the incident to the Federal Capital Territory, warning that such publications had caused avoidable 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.
To strengthen security around the nation’s capital, the command disclosed that the Commissioner of Police had ordered the deployment of operational and intelligence personnel to border communities adjoining Nasarawa State.
“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 further urged journalists and members of the public to verify security-related information before publication, stressing that inaccurate reports could erode public confidence and trigger unnecessary fear.
Meanwhile, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, said an official statement on the incident was being prepared.
