Gunmen have reportedly abducted the permanent secretary in the Nasarawa State ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Barrister Yusuf Musa.
Barrister Musa, who is the past General Manager of the Nasarawa Broadcasting Service (NBS), was kidnapped from his residence at Ungwan Nungu in Lafia Local Government Area in the early hours of Tuesday.
Musa, according to reports, was discovered to have been kidnapped when a patrol team from the “B” Division of the Nigeria Police saw a pick-up van with all doors left wide open in a suspicious manner around the permsec’s residence.
The media gathered that on getting closer, the gate of Musa’s house was left wide open, signifying that something was wrong in his residence.
Meanwhile, a statement from the state Police Command has said “The Nasarawa State Police Command has begun a comprehensive investigation into the suspected abduction of Barr. Yusuf Musa, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Nasarawa State.”
According to the statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Ramhan Nansel, the police have vowed to rescue the victim unhurt.
The statement added, “At about 0305hrs, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, a patrol team from B Division, Lafia, discovered a Peugeot pick-up van with all doors left wide open in a suspicious manner. Upon closer examination, officers observed that the gate to the victim’s residence was also ajar, prompting immediate security concern.
“A swift search of the premises confirmed that Barr. Yusuf Musa was missing, along with his GMC vehicle, bearing registration number KUJ 88 PA, raising strong suspicion of an abduction.
“In response, the Commissioner of Police, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, promptly activated a coordinated tactical operation by alerting all relevant police divisions across the state, including units in Akwanga, Andaha, Garaku and Kadarko, and deploying surveillance along strategic routes to track and intercept the fleeing suspects.”
The statement stated that the Commissioner of Police has ordered an intensive statewide manhunt and reaffirmed the Command’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the victim’s safe rescue and the immediate apprehension of those behind the act.
“The Nasarawa State Police Command urges members of the public to remain calm and vigilant. Anyone with useful information is encouraged to report to the nearest police station or call the Command’s emergency lines on 08036157659, 08037461715, and 07032532391,” the statement read.
High-profile kidnappings in Nasarawa
In December last year, a former member of the House of Representatives for the Lafia, Obi, Keana Federal Constituency in Nasarawa State, Dr. Joseph Haruna Kigbu, alongside his wife, was kidnapped, while his police orderly was killed.
On October 16, 2024, the General Manager of Nasarawa Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (NARUWASSA), Dr. Rowland Ayuba, was found dead a few days after he was kidnapped. He was reportedly kidnapped along Kwandare road in Lafia.
Also last year, gunmen kidnapped the Chairman of Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Safiyanu Isa Andaha.
In 2023, Daniel Ogoshi, a driver of the Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Dr Emmanuel Akabe,was kidnapped along Kwandere Road, Lafia, the state capital.
In 2022, the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Lawal, was kidnapped from his residence at Nasarawa Eggon, 26km from Lafia, the state capital.
Also in 2022, a traditional title holder, the Madakin of Shabu community in Lafia Local Government Area, Musa Shuaibu, was kidnapped but later rescued.
In 2020, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Nasarawa State on Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Mr. John Waje Mamman, was kidnapped in Dari, Konkona local government area, just as the Nasarawa State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Philip Schekwo, was kidnapped and killed by gunmen that same year.
Four years ago, a Nasarawa State lawmaker, Hon. Ismail Danbaba, was kidnapped alongside three others.
These high-profile kidnappings raise concerns among stakeholders in the state, particularly among residents of Lafia, the state capital.
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