Gunmen abduct printing press employee, demand N100m ransom

Some gunmen on Friday kidnapped an employee of a commercial printing press in Ikeja, Mr. Emmanuel Brown, in the Agric, Ikorodu area of the state.

Our correspondent learnt that Brown, who was driving home with his wife and daughter, was attacked by the gunmen at about 7pm around Church bus stop, Agric.

The assailants reportedly took the family hostage in their car, whisking them away to a junction in the neighbouring Imota area, where they let go of the wife and daughter on the same evening.

The matter was said to have been reported at the Imota Police Division and the Area N Command, Ijede.

A relation, who did not want her name in print, said the gunmen had called the family and demanded a ransom of N100m.

She said, “The kidnappers called in on Saturday morning and demanded a ransom. We begged them that we could not raise such amount. We are still negotiating with them. They have not yet agreed to lower the ransom. On Sunday, they called in again, telling us that we were wasting their time. But we can only beg them as we cannot raise such huge amount.”

Another relation said the family members were making frantic efforts to put some amount together for the kidnappers.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident, adding that the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, had directed a discreet investigation into the case.

She said, “The police are on top of it (the abduction). The CP is directly involved in the case. The police have blocked all escape routes of the kidnappers, and rescue mission is ongoing.”