NDA Attack: Controversy Trails Bandits Killing Of Abducted Major Datong

• FIJ claims officer still alive

A senior Army officer, Major Christopher Datong, who was abducted by alleged bandits during an attack on the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna has reportedly been found dead.

However, an online platform, Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) claimed authoritative sources have confirmed that the Army Major is still alive in his abductors’ den.

Born on January 4, 1978, the 43-year-old officer was abducted during the attack that took place on the NDA facility on Tuesday, August 24, 2021.

In the deadly attack that saw the bandits penetrating the Military training institution, the bandits left two other military officers dead.

Reportedly, dressed in military uniform, the invaders were said to have exploited a security breach.

Late Major Datong’s remains were discovered on Tuesday evening, just a few hours after he was ferried away by the unknown gunmen in a commandos-like style of operation.

Earlier in the day, reports had emerged, especially in the social media that the bandits having opened a line of communication, allegedly demanded the sum of N200m as ransom in order for the late Army officer to regain his freedom.

For now, there seems to be no information on why the bandits changed their minds and decided to kill Major Datong.

But faulting widespread reports about his death, Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) said authoritative sources have confirmed that Major Christopher Datong is still alive.

Multiple platforms had reported that his body was found, but in its reports, the FIJ said the latest findings confirmed that up till 10 pm on Tuesday, both his family and the NDA maintained that they got proof that he is alive from his captors.

“His abductors spoke with two different members of his extended family, both women.

They asked Major Datong to name someone he trusted the most whom they could talk to, and he did (FIJ will not name this person in order not to compromise the negotiations).

Since Datong named his negotiator, the ‘bandits’ have refused to talk to anyone else but, FIJ understands.

“Every call they make, they give Datong the phone to talk to his self-appointed negotiator, just so that we have a proof of life,” a source very close to the family told FIJ on Wednesday morning.

According to the source; “He is alive. This much I can confirm. As of 10 pm on Tuesday, he was still alive — and this was hours after the circulation of reports of his death.”

Pictures of the deceased Army Major, an indigene of Plateau State, have flooded social media since his abduction and one of the pictures had him posing with a pregnant woman, believed to be his wife.