President Muhammadu Buhari
‘NDA attack will boost morale of our armed forces,’ says Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari in his reaction to the attack on the heavily fortified campus of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna, Tuesday morning, has said the incident ‘will buoy the morale of the Nigerian Armed Forces to make a decisive end of criminality in the country rather than throw a dampener into their confidence as it is intended to.’
Confirming the attack on its facility in Kaduna, Wednesday, Spokesperson of NDA, Major Bashir Jajira said: “The security architecture of the Nigerian Defence Academy was compromised early this morning by unknown gunmen who gained access into the residential area within the Academy in Afaka. During the unfortunate incident, we lost two personnel and one was abducted.
“The Academy in collaboration with the 1Division Nigerian Army and Air Training Command as well as other security agencies in Kaduna state has since commenced pursuit of the unknown gunmen within the general area with a view to tracking them and rescue the abducted personnel.
“The NDA community and Cadets are safe in the Academy. We assure the general public that these unknown gunmen would soon be apprehended and the abducted personnel rescued.”
However, reacting Wednesday, President Buhari, in an unsigned statement from the Presidency, noted that the attack, which led to loss of lives, ‘came at a time that the military had put insurgents, bandits, kidnappers, and other types of criminals on the retreat.’
“The President says the heinous action would accelerate the total uprooting of evil in the polity, which members of the Armed Forces are solidly resolved to accomplish in the shortest possible time.
“Commiserating with the families who lost their loved ones, and praying God to comfort them, President Buhari vowed that the deceased would not die in vain, as the degenerate act would have consequences that will eventually clean the country of vermin, and emancipate the polity from deliberate, targeted and contrived atrocious acts.
“The President thanks all Nigerians who value and appreciate the efforts of the military, and urges those playing hateful politics with the dastardly act to desist, noting that rather than recriminations, this is the time for all patriots and people of goodwill to support and encourage those who are in the vanguard of the battle against wickedness in the land,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed report claims that the officer kidnapped by bandits who invaded the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, simply identified as Major Datong, has been killed.
The officer was reportedly found dead on Tuesday hours after his kidnap.
However, confirmation is not forthcoming as credible sources suggest the officer in question, Major Christopher Datong is still alive.
The Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) on Wednesday, said Datong is still alive.
“FLASH: Despite multiple rumours of his death, Fijnigeria can confirm that the abducted Major Christopher Datong is still alive.”
“Reports of his death are NOT TRUE.”
“Details soon,” the organization wrote on its Twitter account.
According to photographs of other deceased officers, they were of the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force, with Datong, who was kidnapped, belonging to the Nigerian Army.
