By Emmanuel Kwada
A brazen daylight kidnapping on one of Nigeria’s busiest highways has plunged the Federal Civil Service into a state of dread, with six high-ranking Directors from the Ministry of Defence seized by suspected gunmen as they journeyed to the capital for a crucial promotion exam.
The shocking incident unfolded late Monday afternoon along the Kaba-Lokoja highway in Kogi State, a notorious stretch plagued by banditry and poor infrastructure.
The victims – all senior female civil servants attached to the Command Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Ojo, Lagos – were en route from Lagos to Abuja when their convoy was ambushed in a meticulously planned operation, sources familiar with the matter revealed.
Eyewitnesses described hearing gunfire erupt around 4 p.m., followed by the assailants’ motorcycles roaring off into the bush with the women bundled into waiting vehicles.
The abducted officials have been identified as Mrs. Ngozi Ibeziakor, Mrs. C.A. Emeribe, Mrs. C. Helen Ezeakor, Mrs. C.A. Ladoye, Mrs. J.A. Onwuzurike, and Mrs. Catherine O. Essien.
All are long-serving Directors and active members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), the powerful union representing federal workers.
In a fiery statement issued Tuesday morning from its Abuja headquarters, ASCSN President Shehu Mohammed and Secretary-General Joshua Apebo decried the “heinous and unacceptable” attack, vowing that the union would pull every lever to bring the women home unharmed.
“These dedicated public servants, pillars of our nation’s defence education system, were simply doing their jobs – preparing for a promotion interview that could advance their careers after decades of selfless service,” the statement read. “Their abduction is not just a crime; it’s an assault on the very fabric of our civil service.”
The union wasted no time pointing fingers at systemic failures, slamming the Federal Civil Service Commission for mandating in-person exams in Abuja amid escalating insecurity.
“We have repeatedly urged the Commission to decentralize promotion examinations to state levels, sparing workers the perilous treks across crumbling roads riddled with danger,” Mohammed and Apebo wrote.
“The current security climate and the deplorable state of our federal highways expose our members to needless risks. How many more tragedies must occur before these warnings are heeded?”
Panic rippled through the corridors of the Defence Ministry headquarters in Abuja, where colleagues gathered in hushed clusters, trading anxious updates and prayers.
One anonymous official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the mood as “eerie – like a dark cloud has settled over the building.”
The ministry, caught off-guard by the audacity of the strike so close to the capital, has since activated its crisis response protocols. Specialized security teams, including elements from the Defence Intelligence Agency and local police anti-kidnapping squads, have fanned out across Kogi’s dense forests and border hideouts, combing for leads.
A ministry spokesperson confirmed late Tuesday that negotiations were underway through back channels, though details remained tightly under wraps to avoid jeopardizing the operation.
This isn’t the first time the Kaba-Lokoja corridor – a vital artery linking Nigeria’s south to the north – has become a hunting ground for gunmen.
For the families of the missing women, the ordeal is a gut-wrenching vigil. Relatives in Lagos and Abuja have been huddling with ASCSN reps, fielding frantic calls from colleagues and poring over grainy CCTV footage circulating on social media.
Mrs. Ibeziakor’s husband, a retired naval officer, told reporters outside the ministry that his wife – a 25-year veteran educator – had texted him just before the attack: “Almost there, traffic’s a nightmare.” That message, now a haunting echo, underscores the human toll of a bureaucracy bogged down by inefficiency.
As search operations intensify, the ASCSN has doubled down on its decentralization plea, threatening coordinated action if reforms don’t follow.
“We commend the Defence Ministry’s rapid mobilization and urge all security agencies to turn over every rock until these mothers, sisters, and professionals are reunited with their loved ones,” the union leaders concluded. “But prevention must be our priority. No promotion is worth a life.”
With the nation still reeling from a string of high-profile abductions – including last week’s seizure of schoolchildren in Kaduna – this latest outrage has reignited calls for a national security overhaul.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, already under fire for uneven progress on its “Renewed Hope” agenda, faces mounting pressure to deliver results. For now, in the sweltering heat of Kogi’s scrublands, hope hangs by a thread – pinned on the swift hands of those racing against the clock.
