Six senior directors from Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence were abducted on Monday while traveling from Lagos to Abuja for a directorate-level promotion examination, according to the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN).

The victims, all staff of Command Day Secondary School (CDSS), Ojo, were reportedly seized in a coordinated ambush in Kogi State.

The abductees have been identified as Mrs. Ngozi Ibeziakor, Mrs. C.A. Emeribe, Mrs. C. Helen Ezeakor, Mrs. C.A. Ladoye, Mrs. J.A. Onwuzurike, and Mrs. Catherine O. Essien. ASCSN President Shehu Mohammed and Secretary-General Joshua Apebo condemned the incident and urged the government to decentralize promotion and verification exercises to reduce travel-related risks for civil servants.

Security operatives have been mobilized to comb suspected hideouts in Kogi, a state that has seen a surge in kidnapping incidents this year. Just days earlier, 10 people were abducted along the Dekina-Ajiyolo-Anyigba Road, and a June attack left one dead and six injured.

The union praised the Defence Ministry’s swift response and called on all security agencies to intensify efforts to ensure the safe return of the abducted officers. “The current security situation and deplorable road conditions expose workers to grave risks,” the ASCSN stated.

This incident underscores the growing insecurity facing public servants and the urgent need for structural reforms in how federal examinations and official travel are conducted.