Concerns have been raised by residents of Lagos State regarding a disturbing increase in kidnapping incidents within the region.
The surge in cases, notably concentrated on the Mainland, particularly in Alimosho and Amuwo Odofin Local Government Areas, has become a cause for alarm.
Reports indicate that individuals of considerable wealth have become primary targets for these abductions, with perpetrators demanding substantial ransoms.
The escalation of this trend became particularly apparent around August, as observed through inquiries conducted by our correspondent on Thursday.
The most recent incident occurred during the night on Saturday, involving the abduction of a well-known car dealer, Ejike Conversion, situated in the Ladipo Spare Parts Market. In the early hours, while Ejike was diligently inspecting his recently imported merchandise in front of his plaza, armed assailants abruptly descended upon him and his staff.
Amidst the chaos, his workers sought refuge upon hearing gunshots, but Ejike was not as fortunate. The armed men violently assaulted him, forcibly dragging him into their vehicle before swiftly making their escape.
A trader and member of the Board of Trustees of the market, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the abduction on Thursday while noting that the development caught many traders in the market unawares.
“Yes, Ejike was kidnapped in the market on Saturday night. It is a surprise to many because it happened late in the night when almost every trader in the market had gone home at the end of business. The market closes daily at 6pm. He was abducted at his warehouse when he was taking delivery of his goods delivered from China very late in the night,” he said.
A source in the market who also spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, on Thursday, disclosed that the abductors had opened communication with the family as they demanded N500m.
The source said the family had since been negotiating for the reduction of the amount but they were yet to reach an agreement with the kidnappers.
“Ejike is still with the kidnappers. They are demanding N500m and the amount is too much. The family has been negotiating with them but they did not reduce the amount. They insisted on collecting the amount. He was kidnapped around 12 am in his office. The police had also been informed,” the source revealed.
In a similar development, a yet-to-be-identified businessman was allegedly kidnapped earlier this month in the Ago Palace area of the state while the kidnappers demanded a sum of N500m.
A project architect, Daario Naharis, while narrating his experience on Wednesday via his X handle (formerly Twitter), said he was almost abducted in the area in November where the abductors blocked his vehicle while in motion.
He wrote, “I had this experience firsthand last month in this same Ago. I was coming home around 12 am when some guys with 2.4 Camry blocked me on motion. I bashed into their back bumper, alighted immediately considering the way they drove and bolted away seeing four doors opening at instant.
“My saving grace was that I was riding on a heavier vehicle as the impact devastated them. Before they could reconcile it, I made a decision in a nanosecond and crossed to the other road. If they were just robbers, they would have ransacked or taken the vehicle along.
“I have never had the courage to speak about my experience that day except seeing this tweet, never knew what came into me to go into them with such speed which turned out to have saved me in that situation. Those guys were properly armed and casual.”
In what appeared like a syndicate, a group of unidentified armed men were said to have kidnapped the owner of a popular hotel located at Grandmate bus stop in the Ijegun area of the state in October. His family reportedly paid about N100m as ransom before he was later released.
Similar cases were recorded on Governors Road in Ikotun, Gowon Estate in Egbeda and other locations in the Alimosho Local Government Area as the victims were made to part with huge ransoms before they were released.
