Gunmen struck on Monday night, killing a senior military officer, Colonel Abdussalam Ude, in a bloody suspected kidnap attempt at his home in Badna, New Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The shocking attack happened in a border community close to the Federal Capital Territory, sparking early confusion that the killing took place inside Abuja.
Sources said the armed men stormed the residence of Colonel Abdussalam Ude under heavy rainfall, allegedly to abduct him. But the plan went horribly wrong when the officer resisted, forcing the attackers to open fire repeatedly before escaping into the night.
A source revealed that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Kurudu later arrived the scene on Tuesday and supervised the evacuation of the officer’s body to the morgue.
Reacting to the reports, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command issued a statement on Tuesday distancing Abuja from the incident, insisting the deadly attack happened in Badna, New Karu LGA of Nasarawa State.
The command said Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, immediately ordered a probe after the story went viral online.
“Investigations revealed that the incident occurred in Badna, New Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, and not within the jurisdiction of the FCT Police Command as falsely portrayed in the circulating publications,” the statement said.
The police also slammed what it called misleading reports linking the attack to Abuja, warning that such claims had triggered unnecessary panic among residents.
“The command is concerned that some blogs and media outlets, in an attempt to gain traction, have deliberately attributed the incident to the FCT, thereby creating unnecessary panic, heightening public anxiety, and misinforming residents of the nation’s capital,” it added.
To tighten security, the command said the Commissioner had ordered the immediate deployment of operatives and intelligence teams to border communities around Nasarawa State to block criminal infiltration into the capital.
“The CP FCT Command has proactively ordered the immediate deployment of operational and intelligence assets to border communities adjoining the FCT with Nasarawa State, to prevent any attempt by criminal elements to infiltrate the Federal Capital Territory or perpetrate any criminal activity within the nation’s capital,” the statement read.
