The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of a British national on the highbrow Victoria Island, Lagos on Saturday by suspected gunmen.
Yesterday, a spokeswoman for the United States (US) consulate in Lagos had released a statement saying an expatriate was kidnapped at about 11pm on Saturday.
The message, intended for US nationals, read: “The US Consulate General in Lagos received a report that an expatriate was kidnapped on Victoria Island on Saturday, March 23 at approximately 11 pm.”
She had however not given further details.
The Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, later confirmed the incident, identifying the expatriate as a Briton who was abducted in front of his home by unknown gunmen as he returned from a late-night event. However, he also did not give additional details such as the name of the hostage.
The police boss said he had already deployed detectives from the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the command to comb all the nooks and crannies of the city in search of the victim and his abductors.
The police commissioner said: “We have set our dragnet and we will get the kidnappers and rescue the victim. The victim is not an American; he is a Briton and we are trying all efforts to ensure that the kidnappers are arrested and brought to book.”
Command spokesman Ngozi Braide later described the victim as a businessman and a resident of Victoria Island.
“We have started investigation of the matter and we will get the abductors soon,” she said.