Gunmen on Sunday night reportedly kidnapped a prominent petroleum dealer, Alhaji Suleiman Akinbami, in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
The Police Command in Ekiti State, on Monday, confirmed the abduction of the businessman and said that a manhunt had been launched with the collaboration of other security agencies to rescue Akinbami and apprehend his abductors.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akinbami was said to have been abducted by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on Sunday night at about 9:00 pm at one of his filling stations located along Ado Ekiti – Ijan Ekiti road, close to the Odo Ado Divisional Police Headquarters.
Akinbami is also one of the leaders of the state chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).
According to witnesses, he was suddenly approached by the gunmen numbering four, who came to the filling station without firing shots into the air to scare anyone, apparently because the filling station is located close to the Odo Ado Divisional Police Headquarters.
The witnesses said it was after then that Akinbami was ordered into his jeep, parked in the environment after which they drove him into an unknown destination.
Spokesman of the police command in the state, ASP Sunday Abutu, described Akinbami’s abduction as unfortunate.
He said the command had deployed a special team of policemen to be assisted by the Amotekun Corp, local hunters and the vigilantes to comb the bush and track the suspects to ensure the rescue of the victim.
Abutu said that the wife of the victim, Mrs Mariam Akinbami, reported the abduction of her husband at the Odo-Ado Divisional Police Headquarters Sunday night.
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He said the wife narrated that four unknown men quietly approached her husband, ordered him into his Toyota Jeep and whisked him away to an unknown place.
” Upon receipt of the information, the DPO led his team to the scene to find clues that could aid the prompt arrest of the suspects and rescue of the victim.
” The Commissioner of Police, Mr Tunde Mobayo has called for calm and assured the people of the state that the police would do its best to ensure the rescue of the victim and the arrest of the abductors.
” The Commissioner also advise everyone to be wary of strange and suspicious faces around their domains”, he said.
Abutu appealed to anyone with useful information concerning the incident to please contact the nearest police station or call 0806 233 5577.