Army Colonel Killed, Wife, Aides Injured as Gunmen Storm Home in Coordinated Attack

Army Colonel Killed, Wife, Aides Injured as Gunmen Storm Home in Coordinated Attack

A serving Nigerian Army officer, Colonel Abdussalam Ude, has been killed by gunmen who attacked his residence in a brazen assault that also left his wife, driver, and security guard with gunshot wounds. The incident, which occurred on Monday evening shortly after the senior military officer returned from work, has sent shockwaves through military circles and raised fresh security concerns across the Federal Capital Territory and its environs. The assailants reportedly stormed the Army Post Service Housing Estate in the Kurudu area, attempting to abduct the officer, but Colonel Ude put up fierce resistance against the heavily armed attackers. “He resisted them. From what investigators have gathered, they wanted to take him away, but he fought back. Unfortunately, he paid the ultimate price,” a security source familiar with the preliminary investigation was quoted as saying. After failing to abduct the officer, the gunmen shot him multiple times at close range before fleeing the scene, leaving the colonel fatally wounded. The attack also caught members of his household in the crossfire, as his wife, driver, and security guard sustained varying degrees of gunshot injuries and were rushed to a hospital, where they are currently receiving treatment for their wounds.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has issued a clarification regarding the location of the attack, stating that the incident did not occur within the FCT as widely reported in some media outlets. In a statement on Tuesday night, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, explained that investigations ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, established that the attack took place in Badna, New Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, contrary to reports that had linked it to the Federal Capital Territory. The Police Command expressed concern that some blogs and media outlets published the reports without verifying the facts, thereby creating unnecessary panic and misinforming residents of the nation’s capital about the security situation. As a proactive measure, the Commissioner ordered the immediate deployment of operational and intelligence assets to border communities adjoining the FCT with Nasarawa State to prevent criminal elements from infiltrating the capital and to reassure residents of the Command’s commitment to their safety and security.

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Colonel Ude, an indigene of Nsukka, Enugu State, served in the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps and was widely regarded as one of the military’s finest intelligence officers. A member of the 50 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy, he was a dedicated professional who served in various counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria’s North-East, where he played crucial roles in intelligence gathering and operational planning. He was also deployed on international assignments in the Republic of Chad and France, where he contributed to intelligence-sharing and security cooperation initiatives between Nigeria and its international partners. Colleagues described him as a courageous and highly respected intelligence officer who remained composed even in the face of imminent danger, earning him widespread admiration across the military establishment. Sources revealed that he spoke Arabic and other foreign languages fluently, skills that significantly enhanced his effectiveness in intelligence operations and made him a valuable asset to the Armed Forces. At the time of his death, he and his coursemates were reportedly due for promotion to the rank of Brigadier General later this year, making his untimely death a profound loss to the military community.

Security agencies and military authorities have launched investigations into the attack and commenced a manhunt for those responsible, though as of the time of reporting, no arrests have been announced. The Nigerian Army had not issued an official statement on the incident, leaving many questions unanswered about the circumstances surrounding the attack and the identity of the perpetrators. The killing has intensified concerns about the safety of serving and retired military officers in and around Abuja, especially those who have held sensitive intelligence and operational positions that may make them targets for criminal elements or insurgent groups. The incident draws troubling comparisons to the murder of retired Brigadier General Uwem Harold Udokwere, who was killed approximately two years ago when armed men invaded his residence in the Lokogoma area of Abuja while he was defending his family, with the attackers reportedly escaping with his firearm and other valuables. These repeated attacks on military personnel have sparked renewed calls for enhanced security measures to protect officers and their families from such brazen assaults.

Colonel Abdussalam Ude was buried on Tuesday at the Mambilla Mosque in Abuja in accordance with Islamic rites, with military personnel and family members in attendance to pay their final respects. His untimely death has left a void in the military intelligence community, where he was widely admired for his professionalism, dedication to duty, and unwavering commitment to the security of his nation. As investigations continue and the manhunt for his killers intensifies, colleagues, friends, and family members are left to mourn a distinguished officer whose life was cut short in the service of his country, while security agencies work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice.

Army Colonel Killed, Wife, Aides Injured as Gunmen Storm Home in Coordinated Attack