By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The insecurity that has been the lot of many parts of Nigeria seems to have berthed in Lagos State.
Hitherto, Lagos has been relatively insulated from the menace of kidnappers.
But that was shattered on Monday when masked gunmen kidnapped a retired Air Vice Marshal, Sikiru Smith, in Lagos.
AVM Smith (rtd) was kidnapped around 6 pm on Monday near Blenco Mall on Addo Road Ajah area of Lagos.
The gunmen who fired shots sporadically into the air abducted AVM Smith while his driver was running errands.
According to an eyewitness, heavy gunshot rented the air as the gunmen shot sporadically forcing people to scamper for safety, while Blenco shopping mall shut their entrance door.
The gunmen after kidnapping the victim escaped in a speedboat through the waterways.
In a distress voice note sent by his driver, Corporal Odiji who is attached to retired AVM Smith, was heard saying, “they have kidnapped Air Vice Marshal Smith from the site where we are. Some gun men wearing mask kidnapped him.
“They were shooting everywhere, I was fixing oga’s vehicle, when it happened. On my way back I saw them.
“They went on a boat through the water, I ran to the site I saw oga’s glass and where he struggled with them before they took him. The moved from Pump and Sell at Blenco area in ajah, enroute towards Ikorodu area through the water.”
Smith is a cousin to a former Inspector-General of Police 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 the Ajah area of Lagos State on Monday when masked gunmen invaded the place and shot sporadically.