The family of slain military intelligence officer, Colonel Abdulrazaq Abdulkareem Udeh, has dismissed reports that he was killed while resisting an abduction attempt in Abuja, insisting that the senior Army officer was deliberately assassinated by gunmen.
The family’s position, made public on Wednesday, contradicts earlier security reports which suggested that the colonel died after fighting off armed men who allegedly attempted to kidnap him at his residence in the Kurudu area of the Federal Capital Territory.
In a Facebook post, the deceased’s brother-in-law, Ali Chukwudi, described the attack as a calculated assassination, saying the officer was specifically targeted.
“Yesterday, Nigeria failed one of its finest,” Chukwudi wrote.
“My brother-in-law, Colonel Abdulrazaq Abdulkareem Udeh, a senior intelligence officer who dedicated years of his life to defending this nation, was not killed while resisting a kidnapping, as some reports may have claimed. He was deliberately targeted and brutally assassinated.”
He disclosed that the attackers shot the officer in the head, killing him instantly, before opening fire on other members of the household.
“The attackers shot him in the head, killing him. They also shot his wife — my sister — in the leg. The driver and the gateman were both shot in the legs as well. As I write this, my sister is in the hospital, fighting to survive,” he stated.
Chukwudi lamented that the late colonel’s life was cut short just months before a promotion he had earned through years of dedicated service.
“After years of loyal service to Nigeria, and just some months before his well-deserved promotion, his life was cut short in the most horrific way,” he wrote.
Describing the killing as an attack on a patriotic soldier, he called for justice and urged authorities to ensure that everyone involved in the crime is brought to book.
“This was not just another tragic incident. It was a calculated attack on a man who served his country with honour.”
“A thorough, transparent, and uncompromising investigation must be carried out to identify, arrest, and prosecute every person responsible for this heinous crime. Justice must not only be done — it must be seen to be done.”
He concluded with prayers for the deceased and his injured sister.
“May Allah grant Colonel Abdulrazaq Abdulkareem Udeh Al-Jannah Firdaus, grant his family the strength to bear this unimaginable loss, and grant my sister complete healing. Ameen.”
The family’s account differs sharply from preliminary information released by security sources shortly after the attack.
According to earlier reports, gunmen ambushed Colonel Udeh shortly after he arrived at his residence on Monday evening and allegedly attempted to abduct him. Security sources claimed the officer resisted despite being outnumbered before he was shot multiple times at close range.
A source familiar with the initial investigation had said:
“He resisted them. From what investigators have gathered, they wanted to take him away, but he fought back. Unfortunately, he paid the ultimate price.”
The attack also left the colonel’s wife, driver and security guard with gunshot wounds. All three were rushed to hospital, where they are receiving treatment.
Before his death, Colonel Udeh served in several strategic military intelligence and counter-terrorism roles within the Armed Forces. He participated in operations against insurgents in Nigeria’s North-East and also undertook specialised international assignments in Chad and France.
His killing has renewed concerns over the safety of serving and retired military personnel in the Federal Capital Territory, coming barely two years after retired Brigadier General Uwem Harold Udokwere was killed during an attack on his Abuja residence in June 2024.
