In the thick of the night, as silence draped the Wukari–Kente road in Taraba State, the sound of gunfire shattered the calm.
A routine journey for six Nigerians—including a senior officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)—suddenly spiraled into a life-threatening ordeal. But thanks to a swift military response, it didn’t end in tragedy.
The Nigerian Army confirmed that troops, in a coordinated operation with other security agencies, successfully rescued Musa Hudu, deputy commander of NDLEA Zone 1 in Ibadan, along with five other individuals who had fallen into the hands of suspected kidnappers late on April 27.
According to Zagazola Makama, a respected counter-insurgency publication, the first alert came at 11:40 p.m. It was a call for help from Abe Samuel, a local youth leader, who reported that armed men had ambushed a Toyota Hilux on the road.
By the time soldiers arrived at the scene, they found the vehicle—license plate FG 117-B03—abandoned, with a flat tire. The passengers were gone.
What followed was a race against time.
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A joint search and rescue mission commenced overnight, sweeping through the dense bushland surrounding the highway.
By 6:00 a.m. the next morning, soldiers located the victims, who had taken refuge deep in the forest after three assailants opened fire with a dane gun.
Miraculously, all six—including Deputy Commander Hudu—were unharmed. After brief questioning, the victims were escorted safely out of the area.
Their vehicle was repaired, and they continued on their journey.
This latest incident highlights the ongoing threat of roadside abductions in parts of northern Nigeria—but also the growing efficiency of joint security responses in addressing them.