By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Bandits did the unthinkable, August 24, by attacking the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), a training military school for officers, killing two military men and abducting a major.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said troops are on the trail of the bandits who seem to have graduated from abducting students in public schools in Kaduna to soldiers in their barracks.
The Kaduna State government had shut down schools in the state to enable the military to take the war to the bandits in their hideout. Rather, the bandits decided to take the war to the military in their barracks.
Sources told TheNiche that soldiers have complained of a shortage of personnel to secure the large expanse of land which make up the Academy, stretching almost to the Kaduna Airport.
The bandits were said to have breached an unmanned fence leading into the Academy and made their way to the Officers Mess (Living quarters for officers) to abduct a major after killing two of his colleagues.
Meanwhile, the DHQ, in a statement by the Director Defence Information, Major General Benjamin Sawyer, assured that troops are combing the entire location in search and rescue mission.
It said: “The gallant troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), in joint operations are in hot pursuit of armed bandits that attacked the officers’ quarters of the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), in Kaduna early hours of 24 August 2021.
“The bandits who sneaked in after breaching the perimeter fence went straight to the officer’s living quarters and started shooting sporadically.
“Unfortunately, two brave and gallant officers paid the supreme price while one other officer was abducted by the bandits during the process.
“All efforts have been intensified by troops who are currently combing the entire locations in search and rescue mission for the abducted officers.
“The Commandant NDA, as well as the HQ 1Div with the support of NAF, are presently in a coordinated joint operation to search and rescue the abducted officer and arrest the perpetrators.
“The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) wishes to use this medium to condole with the families of the deceased officers, thanked troops for their quick response.
‘’The CDS also wishes to assure the NDA communities of their safety as security has been beefed up while operations are ongoing in the general area. Further details will be released later.”