A police officer, Modestus Ojiebe, attached to the Kwara State Police Command, has been reportedly kidnapped by armed assailants on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, near Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.
According to reports, the Chief Superintendent of Police was targeted while trying to fix his vehicle, which had broken down near the Dei-Dei Police Barracks. Counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama confirmed that Ojiebe was approached by an ash-colored Mercedes-Benz with four armed individuals onboard while working on his car.
The assailants allegedly robbed Ojiebe and his wife of their mobile phones and ATM cards before discovering his police identification. They then forced the officer into their vehicle and sped off, leaving his wife behind at the scene.
In response to the incident, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Dawaki Division was alerted and quickly dispatched a patrol team to the location. Authorities have since increased stop-and-search operations at various entry and exit points around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in an effort to rescue the officer and apprehend the kidnappers.
Several independent security sources, including police officers, have confirmed the abduction to Daily Trust, though they declined to share further details. One source commented, “The information is correct, but I am not permitted to speak on it.”
As of the time of writing, the Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, Josephine Adeh, had not issued an official statement on the matter.
The kidnapping of Officer Ojiebe comes amid rising concerns about security in Abuja, with several similar incidents reported in recent months.
