Personnel monitoring closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) were reportedly asleep when bandits attacked the premises on Tuesday, killing two officers.
The gunmen invaded the Afaka barracks of the academy around 1am, killing two soldiers identified as Lieutenant Commodore Wulah and Flight Lieutenant Okoronwo, and abducting Major Stephen Dantong.
A source later told JournalReporters that the kidnappers had contacted the military authorities to demand a ransom of N200 million.
“They contacted ACA, which is what we call NDA to demand N200 million ransom for the officer,” an officer told JournalReporters on condition of anonymity.
One of the officers who was injured in the attack is currently being treated at a hospital within the barracks.
However, sources told TheCable the bandits sneaked in through a part of the facility that had no fence.
Another source said “it was in the middle of the night, and the personnel that were meant to be monitoring the CCTV had slept off.”
“They could have put everyone on alert, and avert the attack.”
The newspaper learnt the academy authorities would court-martial some soldiers for failing to secure the area.
Bashir Muhd Jajira, spokesperson for the academy, in a statement said, “The security architecture of the Nigerian Defence Academy was compromised early this morning 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.
“The Academy in collaboration with the 1Division 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 rescue the abducted personnel.
“The NDA community and Cadets are safe in the Academy. We assure the general public that this unknown gunmen would soon be apprehended and the abducted personnel rescued.”
Reviewed by Mgbara Zion Barisuka
on
August 25, 2021
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