The Nigerian Navy has been silent about the disappearance of Yakub Ndahi, a lieutenant, his wife and their son while Ndahi was en route to his station on the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory, Calabar, on August 10.

FIJ gathered from a reliable source that the navy instructed Ndahi’s family not to file a missing persons report.

The source explained that the Nigerian Navy said it was investigating the case. One month later, the Navy has remained silent, with the family’s whereabouts remained unknown.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE DAY NDAHI DISAPPEARED?

On the morning of August 10, Ndahi packed all he owned in his apartment at the Navy campsite in Kirikiri, Lagos, into his Lexus 300 Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). He was returning to his new station at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory, Calabar.

Ndahi owned only a few things, as the apartment wasn’t furnished. However, he didn’t leave behind Nathaniel, his five-year-old son, or Alechenu Ann Ladi, his wife. Ndahi also took his son’s bicycle and his wife’s sewing machine, as she was making backpacks for children in the neighbourhood.

Shortly after he loaded all he had onto his car, he got in alongside his wife and son and drove out of Lagos.

However, more than one month later, he has yet to arrive at his station. Ndahi, his wife and his son are nowhere to be found.

NIGERIAN NAVY LACKADAISICAL ABOUT OFFICER’S DISAPPEARANCE

The insider, who is familiar with the matter, explained how Nigeria’s maritime force has handled the case since Ndahi’s family first reported it. He described the Navy as complacent about finding Ndahi’s location and unravelling the truth through its investigation.

This source further said that when the lieutenant went missing, the force headquarters knew nothing about it at first.

“One week after he left Lagos, we did not see him. His unit at NNS Victory said he had also not reported for duty,” the source told FIJ.

“But the naval headquarters was not even aware that their personnel was missing. Nobody relayed it to them that an officer who ought to be on duty was nowhere to be found. Nobody told them that an officer who went on leave was missing, and nobody even declared him missing.”

This source said they managed to get some of Ndahi’s colleagues to speak with a senior officer who then said he would pass on the information to Vice Admiral Ikechukwu Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS).

“But even with that, and two weeks into his disappearance, no one had informed the CNS. By the third week, he was informed and said they had commenced an investigation into it, but up until now, nothing has been heard from the investigation,” he told FIJ.

He said the family’s several attempts to publicly declare Ndahi, his wife and son missing have been stalled by the Navy.

FIJ’s source explained that this could be attributed to the Navy’s attempt to protect its image.

“I am surprised that they are stalling every effort to declare that a military officer on his way to resume duty is nowhere to be found. I saw a post on X but it did not state he was military officer. This surprised me. Maybe it is for security reasons to protect his identity,” he said.

He also said all they knew about the Special Boat Service (SBS) officer’s disappearance was that his location was last active in Imo State, and after that, nothing has been heard about him since then.

The insider worries that if the family’s last known location was in Imo State, they might have been abducted by the Eastern Security Network (ESN), a paramilitary organisation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement.

“I have the feeling that he was abducted. The naval information says his phone was tracked, and his last location was somewhere in Imo State, and if it was there, he might have been taken by the ESN,” the source told FIJ.

“But I do not think anyone will abduct a military officer with his wife and son for one month and not know his real identity.

“I have this suspicion because this is not the first time an incident like this has happened, and the Nigerian Navy covered it up. Some two or three years ago, an officer was kidnapped in Cross River; they kept it quiet until the ransom was paid by his coursemates.

“This is not the first time they have swept things under the carpet, especially when it affects their personnel. And it is more dangerous because, the moment the abductors know he is military personnel, they won’t hesitate to end him.”

The insider dismissed the claim that Ndahi, who is from Borno, was involved in an accident with his family.

“If it was an accident, parts of the vehicle would at least be found. The car is an SUV, and it can’t just disappear like that. If it was an accident, it is a bus route and other travellers must have seen it at least,” he explained.

NIGERIAN NAVY POOR PERSONNEL WELFARE

The insider said the military force did not prioritise personnel welfare.

“When it comes to personnel welfare, the military does little or nothing. Putting together the right resources or technology in this investigation wouldn’t cost them a thing, but spending that money for a cause like this isn’t something they would do. They just hate to spend their money this way. After all, it’s just one officer and almost ‘insignificant’ to them,” he told FIJ.

When FIJ asked if the Navy lacked the funding for such investigations or if they simply would not do it, he said:

“I don’t want to dive into the financial strengths of these institutions and the reeking level of corruption in their system. Are there no sister organisations like the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)? How come they have resources to fish out enemies of the state but don’t have resources when it comes to finding missing serving personnel?

“These institutions are not largely underfunded; instead, they are largely corrupt with terrible administrations.”

When FIJ first contacted Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Navy, via a text message on Sunday for an update on the Nigerian Navy’s investigation into Ndahi’s disappearance, he said he would send a response.

FIJ sent a reminder on Wednesday morning, and Adams-Aliu asked for FIJ’s reporter’s name. He had not responded at press time.