Bandits Abduct Six Defence Ministry Officials, Kill Three Youths in Nasarawa Community

By Diafa Doubra,

Panic has gripped residents of Nasarawa State following a deadly attack by armed bandits who kidnapped six senior directors from the Federal Ministry of Defence and killed three young men in the process. The attack, which occurred along the Keffi–Nasarawa–Toto road on Tuesday evening, has sparked outrage and renewed fears about the growing insecurity in the North-Central region.

According to eyewitnesses, the officials were traveling in a convoy when the assailants ambushed them, forcing their vehicles to a halt before whisking the victims into a nearby forest. Locals said the gunmen operated freely for over an hour without any immediate response from security operatives. The Nasarawa State Police Command confirmed the incident, noting that a joint team of military and police personnel had been deployed to rescue the abducted officials.

Governor Abdullahi Sule condemned the attack, describing it as “a barbaric act against the Nigerian state.” He called on security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice. The latest incident adds to a series of violent kidnappings targeting government officials and travelers across northern Nigeria, heightening calls for urgent reforms in the nation’s security architecture.