Gunmen abduct Air Vice Marshal Smith in Lagos

Gunmen have abducted Air Vice Marshal Sikiru Smith (retd.), in the Ajah area of Lagos State.

Smith is a cousin to a former Inspector-General of Police and current Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith.

 

He was said to be supervising work on a site in the Ajah area of Lagos State on Monday when gunmen invaded the place shooting sporadically.

The gunmen reportedly whisked the retired general away in a waiting speedboat.

 

According to an SOS voice note shared by his driver, Corporal Odiji, the retired AVM engaged in a struggle with the gunmen before he was subdued.

Odiji stated, “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 spokesman for the Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, promised to make inquiries and provide information on the matter later.

 

Smith had held notable appointments such as Commanding Officer Air Engineering Wing, Sierra Leone/Liberia; Commander, Nigerian Air Force Station, Calabar; Deputy Director, Air Engineering, Nigeria Air Force Headquarters, Abuja, Commander 333 Logistics Group, Kaduna, Commander, 401 Aircraft Maintenance Depot, Ikeja; Chief of Logistics, Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, Abuja and Chief of Defence Communications, Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

Smith, who was a guest on The PUNCH Roundtable recently, had advocated the use of drones in security surveillance and military offensives in the country to curb the use of military jets.