On Tuesday, 24 August 2021, news broke that unknown gunmen broke into the Nigerian Defence Academy, Afaka, Kaduna. According to reports, a contingent of bandits pulled up on motorbikes, invading the Army barracks to kill two soldiers, identified as Lieutenant Commodore Wulah and Flight Lieutenant Okoronkwo. They also abducted Major Datong.
As a follow-up to the initial unfortunate news, news broke that the bandits subsequently contacted the defence academy to initiate negotiation on the payment of ransom before they would release Datong.
According to Foundation for Investigative Journalism, who spoke to a source, “They have called to ask for N200million to free the Major,” the source said. “The attack was ridiculous. They came, teased us, and left. Even the helicopter hovering in the bush could not track them.”
While reacting to the attack, the NDA released a statement, where it revealed that it is on the trail of the gunmen who compromised its security architecture.
However, while the pursuit of the uniform-wearing bandits is on, there are reports that the Major has been found dead.
The news of his death came after a military source claimed that the military told the family that they do not pay ransom.
However, in an exclusive article, the Foundation for Investigative Journalism has claimed that the kidnapped major is in fact still alive. A number of online news platforms had earlier on stated that Datong was dead, but according to the report, a source close to the family has reportedly said, “He is alive. This much I can confirm. As of 10 pm on Tuesday, he was still alive – and this was hours after the circulation of reports on his death.”
Many Nigerians are particularly waiting to see how the issue unfolds, as a source confirms that the military is unhappy with the way information has been leaking.
