The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has confirmed the mysterious disappearance of one of its cadets, Stephen Kubuma Gani, insisting that all internal procedures were followed after he went missing, even as his family says it has been left in anguish for more than seven months without clear answers.
In a statement signed by the Academy’s Public Relations Officer, Major Reuben Kovangiya, the NDA dismissed claims that it failed to act, describing such allegations as “false” and misleading.
According to the NDA, Gani— a member of the 76 Regular Course— was admitted in 2024 and resumed training on August 26, 2024. The Academy said his training progressed normally until April 28, 2025, when he allegedly absented himself without authorisation.
The institution said Gani’s parents were formally notified three days after his absence, and that seven days later, he was struck off the Academy’s strength in line with its regulations. The NDA added that investigations were reopened after the family reported that his whereabouts were still unknown.
“Feedback received later from his parents revealed that his whereabouts could not be ascertained, which led to renewed investigative procedures by the Academy, which are still ongoing,” the statement said.
However, the family’s account sharply contradicts the Academy’s position.
SUNTV Global Channel had earlier reported that 21-year-old Gani, a native of Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, disappeared under unclear circumstances shortly after returning to the NDA from the Easter holiday.
According to his parents, the last contact with Stephen was on Sunday, April 27, 2025, around 2:00 p.m., when he called using a roommate’s phone to confirm that he had safely returned to the Academy from Jos. All attempts to reach him afterwards failed.
“He told us he had arrived safely. That was the last time we ever heard his voice,” his father, Mr Gani Agby, wrote in a formal petition submitted to the NDA Panel of Investigation on November 5, 2025.
The family said their ordeal deepened on April 29, 2025, when they received a call from Lt. Makka, Deputy Battalion Commander of Burma Battalion, informing them that their son could not be found within the Academy. They were told he had answered night bed checks and lights-out, but reportedly stepped out around 3:00 a.m. to “ease himself” and never returned.
Further unsettling the family, a senior cadet allegedly contacted them via WhatsApp, advising them “not to tell anyone” about the disappearance.
Despite these calls, the family insists that no official written notification of Stephen’s disappearance has ever been issued by the NDA. They also raised concerns about conflicting accounts, unexplained use of Gani’s SIM card, and what they described as troubling inconsistencies involving his roommates.
In a strongly worded submission, Gani’s father alleged that his son— reportedly the only Christian among his roommates— may have been lured or abducted in what he described as a “prearranged setup,” a claim the NDA has not substantiated.
The family further accused the Academy of keeping them at arm’s length from its investigation, saying they were never granted a physical meeting with the internal panel and received no written report or official updates.
Their attempts to seek help from the police, political representatives, and state authorities have also yielded little progress. Adding to their distress, Gani’s father said he received a mysterious phone call in July 2025, in which an unidentified caller simply said, “Your son will be with you,” before hanging up.
Seven months on, the family says their lives remain in limbo.
“We cannot sleep. We cannot eat. Our business has collapsed,” the parents said.
“What hurts most is the silence,” Gani’s mother added. “We are being treated this way because we are nobodies in Nigeria.”
