Fresh indications have surfaced on the abduction of six senior directors of the Federal Ministry of Defence, as their captors have reportedly pegged the ransom at N150 million.
The officials were seized on November 10 along the Kabba–Lokoja highway in Kogi State while travelling from Lagos to Abuja for a Directorate-level promotion examination.
It was learnt that the attackers laid siege to the road and struck with precision, forcing the convoy to a halt before whisking the victims away.
Family members, still grappling with the shock of the incident, said the ransom demand has deepened their distress.
“We are still traumatised by what happened. Now the kidnappers are asking for N150 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 family member said.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), in a statement jointly signed by its President, Shehu Mohammed, and Secretary-General, Joshua Apebo, condemned the abduction and assured members that frantic efforts were underway to secure the directors’ freedom.
The union listed the victims as Mrs. Ngozi Ibeziakor, Mrs. C. Emeribe, Mrs. Helen Ezeakor, Mrs. C. Ladoye, Mrs. J. Onwuzurike, and Mrs. Catherine Essien, all senior staff of the Command Day Secondary School (CDSS), Ojo, Lagos.
According to the ASCSN, the Ministry of Defence has activated a coordinated response, working with security agencies and other critical actors to fast-track the safe return of the abductees.