By Moses Omorogieva
The Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday said it had deployed all its machinery to rescue retired AVM Sikiru Smith from the hands of gunmen who kidnapped him.
The spokesman of the command, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, said this while reacting to the kidnapping of the retired Air Chief.
“We are on it working to rescue him,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that some masked gunmen reportedly abducted the retired air force officer on Monday night along the Ajah-Badore Road, in Lagos State.
The SOS audio released by his driver, Cpl. Odiji, said Smith was abducted from a project site in Ajah and forcefully taken away in a boat that sailed towards the Ikorodu area of the state.
In the one minute and four seconds audio, the corporal said: “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 mask 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.”
Smith is a cousin to a former Inspector-General of Police and current Chairman of the Police Service Commission, retired I-GP Musiliu Smith.
Prior to his retirement, Smith held several positions including Chief of Defence Communications, Commander 401 of The Aircraft Maintenance Depot and Chief of Logistics at The Nigerian Air Force.
He is also the author of non-fiction book “Civil Militia and Nigeria’s National security”, unveiled in Lagos in 2013.
He currently serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Double Wealth Ventures Limited.