There was panic on Sunday after gunmen attempted to abduct a food vendor, Joy Ochommah, in front of her restaurant in the Ajah area of Lagos State.
It was learnt that the incident happened around 9:30 p.m. in the Addo Road area of the community.
The victim who spoke to our correspondent on Monday said she had just closed for the day and was waiting for an e-hailing driver she ordered when a van suddenly pulled up in front of her.
According to her, two armed men came out of the vehicle, moved close to her, and tried to force her inside the van.
She said, “I operate a restaurant on Addo Road, and I was waiting for a ride I ordered at about 9:30pm when a black van suddenly parked in front of me. I was not bothered initially until I saw two men come out of the van and approach me. They asked if I knew a particular street in the area, and while I was trying to reply that I did not know, they held my hand and tried to drag me into the bus. Immediately, I threw myself to the ground and started to scream for help.”
She added that this attracted two men who were in a vehicle as they parked and rushed to her aid.
According to her, the suspected kidnappers, who were startled by her resistance, abandoned her and sped away in their van.
“I don’t know what came over me at that point; all I knew was that I was dragging with them, and in the process, I saw two men moving close to us, including some passers-by. When they realised this, they left me and quickly entered their van and sped away.
“The men who were in mufti later identified themselves as police officers. They said they sighted me while I was dragging with the men, and knew something was not right, which prompted them to stop. That was the same thing the passersby who also came to save me said.”
Mrs. Ochommah said she sustained minor injuries and was taken to a nearby clinic for treatment.
Speaking from the hospital bed, she also claimed she was still traumatised by the experience.
She, however, called for the presence of police personnel in the area, while also adding that she would make a report after being discharged from the hospital.
A relative of the victim, who identified herself simply as Cynthia, told PUNCH Metro that the officers were from the Ajah Police Station.
“We were told that the officers were from Ajah police station, and we are grateful for their bravery because it would have been something else if not for their intervention.”
When PUNCH Metro contacted the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, for comments on the incident, the call was answered by her personal assistant, who explained that the PPRO was the appropriate person to respond to the inquiry. He, however, advised that a WhatsApp message be sent to her.
As of the time of filing this report, the message had yet to receive a response.
PUNCH Metro reported in September that the Lagos State Police Command arrested six yet-to-be-identified men for allegedly abducting their business partner in the Lekki area of the state.
The victim, identified by his nickname Senator, was kidnapped and held for three days following a business dispute.
A complaint was lodged by the family of the victim over his whereabouts, leading to a search by the police, after which he was found in the apartment.
The latest incident has renewed calls for increased patrols across Lagos communities, where residents say such kidnap cases were recorded.
punch.ng
FOLLOW US ON:
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
PINTEREST
TIKTOK
YOUTUBE
LINKEDIN
TUMBLR
INSTAGRAM
