Gunmen have abducted Air Vice Marshal Sikiru Smith (retd.), in Ajah area of Lagos State, South-west Nigeria.
Smith is a cousin to a former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and current Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith.
It was learnt that the retired general, who is currently the Chairman of Double Wealth Ventures Limited – a dredging and engineering firm – was supervising work on a site in Ajah on Monday morning when masked gunmen invaded the place and shot sporadically.
The gunmen were said to have whisked the retired general away in a waiting speedboat.
According to an SOS voice note shared by his driver, Corporal Odiji, Air Vice Marshal Sikiru Smith engaged in a struggle with his abductors before he was subdued.
Odiji stated, according to Punch, “This is an emergency. I am Corporal Odiji attached to Air Vice Marshal Smith. They just abducted him from the site where we were working. Some gunmen who were wearing masks just came and snatched my boss now. They shot everywhere. I was near where I was fixing my boss’ vehicle.
“As I was coming, I saw them leaving in a boat but I wasn’t armed so I just ran to the site and I saw his glasses and where he struggled with them. Please pass this information. It is an emergency.”
Kidnapping is a major problem in Nigeria. It is among the biggest organised or gang crime in Nigeria and is a national security challenge.
