The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has confirmed the disappearance of one of its cadets, Stephen Kubuma Gani, saying investigations into the incident are ongoing.
In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the Academy’s Public Relations Officer, Major Reuben Kovangiya, the NDA said it followed due procedures after the cadet absented himself from the institution and rejected claims that it failed to act promptly.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the family of the 21-year-old cadet appealed for urgent intervention after his unexplained disappearance from the NDA in Kaduna State, a situation they said had left them in distress for over seven months without a clear resolution.
According to the NDA, Gani, a native of Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, was admitted into the Academy in 2024 as a member of the 76 Regular Course and resumed training on August 26, 2024. The Academy said his training progressed normally until he absented himself without authorisation on April 28, 2025.
“In line with established procedures and extant regulations guiding cadets’ administration in NDA, his parents were formally notified three days after his absence,” the statement said, adding that seven days later, the cadet was struck off the Academy’s strength following due administrative processes.
The NDA disclosed that investigations were reopened after feedback from the cadet’s parents indicated that his whereabouts could not be ascertained. “This led to renewed investigative procedures by the Academy, which are still ongoing,” the statement added.
Gani was attached to the Burma Battalion with registration number NDA/15131 and was a Naval cadet studying Geography in the Department of Geography.
However, the cadet’s family has insisted that they never received any official written notification of his disappearance and have raised concerns over what they described as inconsistencies in the accounts given to them. They said the last contact with their son was on April 27, 2025, when he called to say he had returned safely to the Academy after spending the Easter holiday with his family in Jos.
The family said they were informed the following day that Gani could not be found within the Academy, despite claims that he had participated in bed checks the previous night. They also alleged contradictions surrounding the handling of his belongings, including his SIM card, and questioned the conduct of internal investigations.
While the NDA maintains that it acted in accordance with its regulations, Gani’s parents said they remain in the dark over their son’s fate and continue to appeal for transparent investigations and answers on his whereabouts.
