Six senior directors of the Federal Ministry of Defence departed Lagos on Monday, 10 November 2025 to travel to Abuja for a directorate-level promotion examination. While on the Kabba-Lokoja highway in Kogi State, they were ambushed and abducted by armed men.
The victims have been identified as:
- Mrs Ngozi Ibeziakor
- Mrs C. Emeribe
- Mrs Helen Ezeakor
- Mrs C. Ladoye
- Mrs J. Onwuzurike
- Mrs Catherine Essien
According to families of the victims, the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of ₦150 million for the release of all six. One family source stated:
“We are still traumatised by what happened. Now the kidnappers are asking for ₦150 million to release all six of them. How can we possibly raise such a huge sum? We beg them to free our loved ones unharmed; that is all we can plead for at this point.”
The union representing the staff, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), confirmed that the Ministry has already activated security operatives in a bid to secure the release of the abducted directors.
ASCSN further used the incident to reiterate its long-standing call that promotion examinations for civil servants should be decentralised (i.e., held in the states) rather than forcing staff to travel long distances — given the security risks and poor road conditions.
Security sources described the abduction as a well-coordinated ambush, highlighting major concerns for the safety of civil servants on official travel. According to reports, the attackers blocked the busy highway, whisked the victims away into the bush, and then issued their ransom demand.
Families of the victims remain in distress, uncertain how to raise the required funds and desperate for the safe return of their loved ones.
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