A military officer, Major Christopher Datong, who was abducted in the early hours of Tuesday by armed bandits at the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, Kaduna has been found dead.
The major was kidnapped during a raid at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, leaving two persons dead and one kidnapped.
According to reports, his body was found on Tuesday evening, hours after the news had gone that the bandits were demanding for N200m ransom to set him free.
The deceased major is said to be expecting a child with his wife.
The gunmen invaded the Afaka barracks of the academy around 1 am on Tuesday, killing two soldiers identified as Lieutenant Commodore Wulah and Flight Lieutenant Okoronkwo.
One of the officers who was injured in the attack is currently being treated at a hospital within the barracks.
The bandits subsequently contacted the defence academy to initiate negotiation on the payment of ransom to secure the release of Datong.
The gunmen reportedly operated for hours and left without any hindrance.
“They couldn’t kill even one of them,” an NDA source lamented.
“They searched everywhere in the bush but couldn’t find them. They had fled away with their motorbikes.”
“They have called to ask for N200million to free the Major,” the source also said. “The attack was ridiculous. They came, teased us and left. Even the helicopter hovering in the bush could not track them.”
After the attack, Bashir Muhd Jajira, spokesman for the NDA in Kaduna, said the security architecture of the NDA was compromised by unknown gunmen who gained access into the residential area within the Academy in Afaka.
“During the unfortunate incident, we lost two personnel and one was abducted,” he said.
“The Academy, in collaboration with the 1 Division Nigerian Army and Air Training Command as well as other security agencies in Kaduna State, has since commenced pursuit of the unknown gunmen within the general area with a view to tracking them and rescuing the abducted personnel.”
