Gunmen have abducted the Chairman of Sapele Local Government Area, Chief Bright Abeke, in an attack that triggered panic among residents.
The incident, which occurred on Friday evening, came less than 24 hours after suspected assailants reportedly issued threats of violence in the area, heightening fears over rising insecurity.
Eyewitnesses said the council chairman was kidnapped at about 7 p.m. at a hotel located along Owumi Road in Sapele. The attackers, numbering about 15, reportedly arrived in a Range Rover SUV and two other vehicles, firing gunshots indiscriminately to disperse residents and guests.
The gunmen were said to have headed straight for their target before forcefully whisking him away to an unknown destination.
During the attack, a member of a local vigilante group, identified simply as Ufuoma, was reportedly shot and rushed to a nearby hospital. His condition could not be confirmed at the time of filing this report.
Following the incident, security operatives have cordoned off major entry and exit points in the area as efforts intensify to rescue the abducted chairman.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Command, Bright Edafe, confirmed the abduction, stating that the command has launched a coordinated operation to secure the victim’s release.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police has directed the deployment of the command’s special anti-kidnapping unit to ensure the safe rescue of the chairman and the arrest of those responsible.
