Six Defence Ministry directors kidnapped on Kaba–Lokoja expressway; ASCSN urges decentralization of promotions amid security concerns.
Tension has gripped the Federal Civil Service after six Directors from the Federal Ministry of Defence were reportedly kidnapped by unidentified gunmen along the Kaba–Lokoja expressway on Monday, November 10, 2025. The officials were traveling from Lagos to Abuja for a Directorate-level promotion examination when witnesses described the ambush as “strategically planned.”
The abduction has thrown the Defence Ministry and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) into turmoil. In a statement, ASCSN President Shehu Mohammed and Secretary-General Joshua Apebo condemned the act, naming the kidnapped officers 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.
The union urged decentralization of promotion exercises, warning, “The current security situation and deplorable road conditions expose workers to grave risks.” Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry has deployed security personnel to search Kogi State and surrounding areas, with authorities promising to leave “no stone unturned” in securing their safe return.