A senior Nigerian military intelligence officer, Colonel Abdussalam A. Ude, has been shot dead after fiercely resisting heavily armed gunmen who attempted to abduct him at his residence in Abuja.
The officer, who was reportedly due for promotion to the rank of Brigadier General next year, was attacked on Monday evening shortly after arriving at his home in the Kurudu District of the Federal Capital Territory.
PR Nigeria reports that the assailants opened fire as Colonel Ude stepped out of his vehicle before attempting to whisk him away.
Despite being outnumbered, the officer reportedly fought back, refusing to surrender to the attackers.
His resistance thwarted the abduction attempt, but the gunmen allegedly responded by shooting him several times at close range, killing him on the spot.
During the attack, the assailants also opened fire on members of his household, leaving his wife, driver, and security guard with gunshot wounds. They were rushed to hospital and are receiving treatment.
Sources described the slain officer, who hailed from Enugu State, as a courageous and highly respected military intelligence operative with an outstanding record of service.
“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 said.
Colonel Ude served in several strategic intelligence and counter-terrorism roles within the Armed Forces and participated in numerous operations against insurgents in Nigeria’s North-East.
He also undertook specialised international assignments in the Republic of Chad and France, contributing to intelligence-sharing and security cooperation.
His burial is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at the Mambilla Mosque in Abuja in accordance with Islamic rites.
Security agencies have launched an investigation to identify and arrest those responsible for the killing and determine the motive behind the attack.
The incident has renewed concerns over a growing pattern of attacks targeting serving and retired military personnel in the Federal Capital Territory.
It comes barely two years after retired Brigadier General Uwem Harold Udokwere was killed by armed men who invaded his residence at Sunshine Homes Estate in Lokogoma, Abuja, on June 22, 2024.
Udokwere was reportedly stabbed to death while defending his family before the attackers fled with his firearm and other valuables.
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