The masked men, who were armed, invaded a worksite in the Ajah area and whisked away a retired Air Vice Marshal (AVM) and former Chief of Logistics of the Nigerian Air Force, Sikiru Oladimeji Smith.
More facts have emerged on how gunmen on Monday evening kidnapped three individuals in coordinated strikes at different locations in Lagos State.
The masked men, who were armed, invaded a worksite in the Ajah area and whisked away a retired Air Vice Marshal (AVM) and former Chief of Logistics of the Nigerian Air Force, Sikiru Oladimeji Smith.
Two other victims, a prominent pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and insurance broker was taken alongside his wife, around Dopemu in the Agege area of the state on their way home.
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According to Nation, the driver was thereafter forced into one of the cars used by the kidnappers suspected to be stolen.
In an SOS voice note shared by his driver, Corporal Odiji, the retired AVM engaged in a struggle with the gunmen before he was subdued and taken away in a boat.
He was quoted as saying: “Good evening house. Please, this is an emergency. I am Corporal Odiji, attached to AVM Smith. Oga was just moved from the site we were working. Some gunmen wearing masks just came, pulled him out of the site.
“They shot everywhere and took him away. I was nearby where he asked me to fix his vehicle. I am his driver. As I was coming back, I saw them where they went on a boat through the water. I was not armed. So, I ran to the site and found Oga’s glasses and where he struggled with them before they took him off.
“Please, somebody should pass the message. They went from Blenco area in Ajah and rode towards Ikorodu area on the water.”
In a post on its social media platform, Eons Intelligence wrote: “The couple kidnapped in Dopemu area of Agege, Lagos was whisked away in their car while their driver moved into another car believed to be stolen.
“Update this morning is that the gunmen have released the wife, to source for the N50million ransom demand brought down from the initial N100million.”
Meanwhile, sources close to the pastor’s family confirmed that the woman was released on Tuesday morning by the kidnappers who dropped her at the residence.
“They took both husband and wife captive and demanded N100m ransom within hours of kidnapping them. But early this morning, they dropped the woman near their house with an instruction to source for N50m ransom in order for her husband to be released.
“They also warned her that they were watching her closely. The way it happened, we are suspecting that they might have targeted the family. Their driver was forced into another vehicle suspected to be stolen while the kidnappers took over the couple’s car.
“At the moment, the pastor’s wife is still very shocked and confused. She isn’t talking to anyone because she’s also afraid. We are just praying for the safe return of her husband,” a source said.