Gunmen kidnap Sikiru Smith, retired air vice marshal, in Lagos

Gunmen have reportedly kidnapped Sikiru Smith, a retired air vice marshal, in Ajah axis of Lagos state.

The retired air vice-marshal was said to have been kidnapped on Monday.

According to the Punch, Smith, who is the chief executive officer of Double Wealth Ventures, a dredging and engineering outfit in Lagos, was abducted when he was supervising work on a site in the area.

The newspaper said Smith was whisked away in a waiting speedboat.

The newspaper also quoted an SOS voice note shared by Odiji, a corporal, who is the driver of Smith.

“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,” Smith’s driver was quoted to have said.

“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.”

When Adekunle Ajisebutu, Lagos police spokesperson, was contacted, he confirmed the incident, adding that the police are working on getting the full detail of the development.

In 1979, Smith was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a pilot officer and had a highly successful military career.

Aside his military career, he holds BSc, MSc, MBA and PhD degrees. He is an Alumnus of Harvard University and fellow of many professional bodies including the Institute of Management, Nigeria.