Gunmen Abduct Nigerian Army Officer on Abuja-Jos Highway, Demand N20 Million Ransom

Gunmen have abducted a Nigerian Army officer, Master Warrant Officer Abdulfatai Odutola, on the Abuja-Jos highway and are demanding a ransom of N20 million for his release, according to sources.

Odutola, a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer attached to 23 Brigade Yola, was traveling to Yola, Adamawa State, when he was taken on Saturday. A military internal memo confirming the incident states that he had left Ilorin on Friday, February 14, 2025, and spent the night in Abuja before continuing his journey the next day when the abduction occurred.

The kidnappers have reportedly contacted authorities with their demand, urging the military to take necessary action for his release.

This development follows a separate attack by Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Borno State, where three army personnel were killed during an assault on a military base in Isige town, Gwoza Local Government Area. The terrorists, who engaged the military for several hours last Sunday, destroyed multiple buildings and seized two gun trucks before fleeing. A military vehicle was also set on fire during the attack.

Sources indicate that the names of the deceased personnel are being withheld pending official notification of their families. Despite the attack, military authorities have remained largely silent on the incident.

The assault in Isige comes just weeks after another deadly attack on a military Forward Operating Base in Damboa Local Government Area, also in Borno State. The attack resulted in significant casualties, with at least seven bodies recovered so far, though the total number of soldiers killed remains unconfirmed. The terrorists reportedly inflicted heavy losses on the 25 Task Force Brigade before military reinforcements arrived, by which time the attackers had already withdrawn.