By Chiemelie Ezeobi
Barely hours after the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Umar Manko, debunked claims that kidnapping was rife in the state, the Ejigbo Local Government Chairman, Kehinde Bamigbetan,
was kidnapped by some yet-to-be identified persons on his way from an official assignment.
Manko had debunked such claims on Tuesday during the parade of the palace hand; Chiejine Onochie who alongside Chukwuma Okoh and others, plotted the kidnap of Professor Kamene Okonjo, mother of Coordinating Minister of Finance and Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Bamigbetan's kidnap is coming hours after one Nnenna Edu, a former banker and member, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), was kidnapped from her car, a black Toyota Corolla with registration number KZ 593 EKY, alongside her driver at gunpoint near Ozone Cinemas, Yaba.
The LCDA chairman who was also the former Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was on Tuesday night abducted at Ejigbo at about 11pm.
The chairman was abducted along Ori-oke Egbe Bridge, few metres away from him house and as at press time, the state command said it is still on the heels of the kidnappers.
As at press time, the kidnappers had allegedly contacted the victim's family, demanding for the sum of 1million dollars (N158million) as ransom, although they were allegedly open to negotiation.
Police sources said immediately the kidnappers had intercepted the jeep, the chairman's driver, Abiodun Olayiwola, allegedly made frantic efforts to reverse but hit a pole instead, thereby trapping the vehicle.
Although he managed to escape, the chairman was not lucky as the gunmen reportedly shot sporadically into the air inbetween threats to shoot him dead if he attempts to escape.
Confirming the incident, the state the Police Command Deputy Public Relations Officer, Mr. Damasus Ozoani, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said the command was making concerted efforts to secure his safe release.
Although he would not say if they have been able to track the whereabouts of the kidnappers, he said the safe rescue of the chairman is paramount.
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