A leaked memo from Defence Headquarters on the assessment of the kidnap incident at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has revealed that the bandits may have gained access into the academy through a loose barb wire fence along the Kaduna International Airport road in Afaka and broke into five flats.
The bushy areas around the officers’ quarters to the fenced area gave the bandits easy concealment to escape, Daily Trust reports.
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On Wednesday the bandits stormed the academy around 1 am and abducted one Major Dalong and killed two other officers before escaping.
A barbwire fence had been losing and might have been used by the bandits to gain entry into the institution, the Daily Trust investigation revealed.
While confirming this report, the leaked memo revealed that the bandits gained access when they breached the barbwire fence of the academy along the Kaduna International Airport road in Afaka.
The memo reads, “Further assessment revealed that the bandit’s escape route leads across the airport road to an open farm/bush area near Gidan Gado village in Afaka. The bandits are believed to have escaped either to Buruku and Maguzawa axis or the Riyawa axis in Igabi which is known as notorious bandits’ hideouts.
“Consequently, there is a need for a robust clearance operation along those areas. Although there is a frantic joint effort by troops and other security forces in the state with a view to rescuing the kidnapped officer.
“It is strongly suggested that the security arrangements in NDA need total overhauling, this is with a view to averting future recurrence as monitoring continues.”
The leaked meme again revealed that the armed gang broke into five flats.
According to the intelligence, the bandits operated successfully because troops did not respond to distress calls on time.
“The response time of troops to the crime scene on that day was slow as the bandits successfully broke into five different flats in the same block and swiftly withdraw before the intervention of troops,” the memo read.
The memo, however, mentioned that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor had visited the academy on August 24, over the incident.
The CDS and his entourage among them senior military officers were said to have been received at the Kaduna International Airport by the NDA commandant and other Senior Officers of the academy.
General Lucky Irabor, described the attack as “madness”.
“The incident in Kaduna has been undertaken by bandits, but it’s more of an armed robber coming to your house. The infiltration didn’t come by virtue of the normal banditry action. But these are things we’re already looking at, and in due course, you’ll get the details,” he said.
“Suffice to say, any form of insecurity is a cause of worry for anyone. That’s why for us, we’re more determined that this madness must be brought to an end very swiftly.”
There has been a nationwide outrage over the incident, with many Nigerians say they no longer feel safe for the security of the defence academy could be breached in that manner.