The gunmen who abducted Major Christopher Datong from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Afaka, Kaduna State, on Tuesday have demanded a ransom of N200 million from Nigeria’s military authorities.
The gunmen invaded the Afaka barracks of the academy around 1a.m., killing two soldiers identified as Lieutenant Commodore Wulah and Flight Lieutenant Okoronkwo, abducting Major Datong.
One of the officers who was injured in the attack is currently being treated at a hospital within the barracks.
According to FIJ, 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 to FIJ. “They searched everywhere in the bush but couldn’t find them. They had fled 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.”