Ajah community in Lagos State was thrown into panic on Monday as some masked gunmen abducted Air Vice Marshal Sikiru Smith (retd.) while supervising work on a site in the area.
It was gathered that the masked gunmen, shooting sporadically, stormed the scene to abduct Smith, a retired general and the Chairman of Double Wealth Ventures Limited, a dredging and engineering firm.
The victim, a cousin to a former Inspector-General of Police and current Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith, was said to have been whisked away in a waiting speedboat.
Corporal Odiji, his aide, was quoted by The PUNCH as saying that “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.”
Adekunle Ajisebutu, Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command, indicated that details would soon be released on the incident.
The PRO of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, was quoted as saying that inquiries would be made.
The victim is an Alumnus of Harvard University and fellow of many professional bodies, including the Institute of Management, Nigeria.
Smith, who was a guest on The PUNCH Roundtable, had advocated for the use of drones in security surveillance and military offensives in the country.
