Six Directors of the Federal Ministry of Defence have been reportedly abducted by kidnappers long the Kaba–Lokoja highway while en route from Lagos to Abuja for a Directorate-level promotion examination.
This incident was said to have occurred on Tuesday, raising concern over the safety of public servants travelling long distances for official duties.
The assailants, described as heavily armed, ambushed the senior officers in what sources called a “well-coordinated operation,” sparking panic among colleagues and the wider civil service community.
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The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) condemned the abduction, naming the victims as Mrs. Ngozi Ibeziakor, Mrs. C.A. Emeribe, Mrs. Helen Ezeakor, Mrs. C.A. Ladoye, Mrs. J.A. Onwuzurike, and Mrs. Catherine Essien.
Report from Intel Region News indicated that all six are staff members of Command Day Secondary School (CDSS), Ojo, Lagos.
In a joint statement, ASCSN President Shehu Mohammed and Secretary-General Joshua Apebo said, “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 current security situation and deplorable road conditions expose workers to grave risks.”
The union added that the Defence Ministry had mobilised security operatives to secure the safe release of the abducted officers and called for the decentralisation of promotion and verification exercises to prevent future tragedies.
The abduction comes amid escalating attacks along Nigeria’s highways. Earlier on Monday, gunmen also targeted a commercial bus along the Kabba–Okene highway in Kogi State, abducting several passengers.
A survivor recounted, “They fired at the vehicle, but when the bullet didn’t penetrate, the Fulanis used their machetes.”
