Contrary to rumors making the rounds yesterday that the kidnapped Chairman, Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Kehinde Bamigbetan, has been released, the police said investigation is ongoing.
It was gathered that the victim who was kidnapped on Tuesday night few meters away from his residence at Ejigbo is yet to regain his freedom four days later despite massive manhunt by the police and the State Security Service ( SSS).
Bamigbetan was abducted barely hours after the State Police Commissioner, Umar Manko, debunked claims that kidnapping was rife in the state.
Manko who was reacting to claims that kidnapping is on the increase said investigations revealed that the kidnappers do not operate in Lagos State rather, they just come and go.
But the Lagos State Deputy Public Relations Officer, Mr. Damasus Ozoani, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said the command was making still concerted efforts to secure his safe release.
While debunking claims that the victim has been found, he said the police were not in the know. According to him, calls made to the Ejigbo divisional police officer reinforced the truth that they still haven't seen the chairman.
He said, "There is nothing to hide. Why would we hide his release?It is good news but the truth remains that we haven't seen him.
"But that doesn't mean that we are not working for his release but note that his safety is paramount to us, so there are things we can't talk about or it will jeopardise investigation."
Corroborating, an Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) stalwart who did not want his name in print told THISDAY that the chairman was yet to be freed.
Although he could not categorically state the stage at which the negotiations were at, he however said progress has been made.
The kidnappers had initially demanded for a whooping sum of one million dollars, an equivalent of N158million in Nigerian currency.
He said, "He has not been released yet but we are at his house keeping vigil and praying for his safe return. I don't know where the story of his release emanated from. We are all keeping our fingers crossed.
"If he has been released, you would have seen him at home. At least, he would have reported to the police so that the search party would be called off. We are however hopeful that he would be back soon."
But indications strongly suggest that the victim would be released soon as considerable progress is said to have been made concerning negotiations between the kidnappers and the victim's family on the terms binding his release.
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