By Leshi Adebayo
An Air Vice Marshal, Sikiru Smith (Retd.) has been abducted by unidentified gunmen in the Ajah area of Lagos State.
Mr Smith is a cousin to the current Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith.
According to Citizens News NG, the retired general, who is the current chairman of a dredging and engineering firm called Double Wealth Ventures Limited, was on a supervisory visit to a site in the Ajah area of Lagos State on Monday, when masked gunmen invaded the place and shot sporadically.
The gunmen reportedly whisked the Mr Smith away using a speedboat and sped away.
According to an SOS voice message shared by his driver, Corporal Odiji, Smith tried to fight off the men but was overpowered in the process.
Odiji said, “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.”
The Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, ASP Adekunle Ajisebutu has pledged to make inquiries and give a detailed response in due time.
In a related development, the Spokesman for the Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet also promised to make inquiries and provide further information on the matter.
Smith was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer in 1979 and was a highly successful military officer that combined soldering with serious academic pursuit.
The retired AVM recently advocated for the use of drones in security surveillance and military offensives in the country to curb the use of military jets.
