BREAKING: Kidnapped Air Vice Marshal Sikiru Smith Regains Freedom

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GIOTV reports that Air Vice Marshal Sikiru Smith (retd.), who was abducted by gunmen in the Ajah area of Lagos State on Monday has regained freedom.

It was gathered that the retired AVM was released in the early hours of Saturday. As gathered by GIOTV, the release of Sikiru Smith was confirmed by the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu, saying, “I can confirm that he has been released.”

Smith was kidnapped on Monday evening by masked gunmen at a site around Blenco Supermarket in Ajah, according to an SOS by his driver Corporal Adiji.

His kidnappers were said to have opened fire to scare people away, struggled with him before whisking him away on a boat.

In the one-minute and four seconds SOS voice note sent out by his driver, Smith was kidnapped around the Blenco area of Ajah and was taken in a speedboat.

He said, “They shot everywhere and took him away. I was nearby, where he asked me to fix his vehicle. I am his driver. As I was coming back, I saw them leaving on a boat through the water. I was not armed. So, I ran to the site and found Oga’s glasses and evidence he struggled with them before they overpowered him.

“Please, somebody should pass the message. They went from the Blenco area in Ajah and rode towards the Ikorodu area on the water.”

The Lagos State Police Command, on Tuesday, had further confirmed the abduction of the retired Air Vice Marshal (AVM ), at a worksite in Ajah on Monday.

According to the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Adekunle Ajisebutu, the command was aware of the Ajah incident, adding that the Command was working to secure his release.

A spokesman for the Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, had promised to make inquiries and provide information on the incident. GIOTV had gathered that there was a contract given to a gentleman to construct a boat, and a payment of 7million naira was paid.

However, it was further learnt that there was a breach of the contract. The boat was not delivered, and the 7million naira was not refunded except a death threat from the gentleman, whose name was not disclosed.

There was also no confirmed link between the abduction and the breach of contract yet.

It was further learnt that the retired general, who is currently the Chairman of Double Wealth Ventures Limited – a dredging and engineering firm – was supervising work on a site in the Ajah area when the masked gunmen invaded the place, shot sporadically and whisked the retired general away in a waiting speedboat and sped away.

Dr. Sikiru Oladimeji Smith, Air Vice Marshal (rtd) was born into the renowned Smith family of Lagos. He was commissioned into the Nigerian Airforce as Pilot Officer in 1979.

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

The notable appointments he has held include 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 Airforce Headquarters, Abuja and Chief of Defence Communications, Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

The retired general is currently the Chairman of Double Wealth Ventures Limited, a dredging and engineering firm in Lagos and had recently advocated the use of drones as security surveillance in combating crimes across the states.