Suspected Fulani gunmen abduct Ikorodu businessman, Lookman Onabanjo

Etim Effiong

Suspected Fulani gunmen on Monday kidnapped an Ikorodu born business mogul and socialite, Alhaji Lookman Onabanjo at Imota in Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

The victim was kidnapped on the way to his farm in Ota in Agbowa area of Ikosi-ejirin Local Council Development Area.,

The businessman is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Bugon Oil and Gas, Bugon Autoland and Bugon Farms.

It was learnt that eight Fulani bandits with seven AK-47 and one submachine gun carried out the kidnap.

CitizenDiary gathered that five people among his workers including Alhaji Onabanjo were kidnapped and three were released after some hours.

According to one of the freed victims, the gunmen were said to have made them trekked for two hours until they got to a very thick bush, where they were held.

A family source, who preferred anonymity, told our correspondent that the kidnappers demanded N100m ransom for their release but added that the amount was still being negotiated.

A source said some other victims, who had been kidnapped alongside the businessman, allegedly paid N15m and an extra N5,000 to get their freedom.

The source said: “The N5,000 was added when they threatened that if the N15m was counted and it is less with N1.00, the two of them will be killed.

“The ransom was collected at Emuren Pipeline area. The victims were released, and they eventually came out of a bush near Adama.

The source said that Imota, where the unfortunate incident happened, shares a border with Ogun State, where criminal activities thrive.

A staff of Ikeja Local Government in Lagos State, Mr Shamsideen Omotayo, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Agbowa-Imota Road, near Ikorodu in August 2017.

The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, when contacted, asked our correspondent to contact Ogun State Police Command for necessary information.

He said: “Find out from Ogun.”

But the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said Imota is part of Ikorodu, which is in Lagos State.

“Imota is part of Ikorodu in Lagos State. Ikorodu has never been part of Ogun State before,” he said.