A female Customs officer was, Tuesday night, abducted by two armed men in front of an eatery in Festac area of Lagos.
The officer, Comfort Alaba, who is attached to SDV, a bonded terminal under Tin-Can Island Command, Lagos, was in her car in the company of her two daughters, in front of the eatery on 22 Road, at about 8p.m., when she was attacked. Eyewitnesses said that the kidnappers, who were armed, apparently trailed the officer to the eatery.
They were said to have rushed out of their operational car, a Murano SUV, and walked straight to Alaba’s car, shooting sporadically. While her daughters managed to escape, Alaba could not, as the kidnappers bundled her into their car and zoomed off.
At 4p.m. yesterday, the distraught family was yet to be contacted by the kidnappers. One of her children, Faith, who narrated how the incident occurred, said: “My mother was kidnapped right in front of me. The kidnappers came in a black Murano SUV with number plates EPE 103 CY.
“We were in the car at TFC, 22 Road, FESTAC, when two men came around. My sister ran out of the car. My mother was still screaming and struggling when the other one pointed a gun at me. “We ran away shouting for help. By the time we looked back, they had zoomed off with my mother in their car.
“As I speak, we have not been contacted. I am passionately appealing to them to release my mother because she means so much to us; my mother is everything to us. “I don’t know who she has offended. But I am appealing to anyone, who has grudges against her, to please forgive and release her.
“My mother has a smallish stature. She is gap-toothed and has a huge arrow-like birthmark on her arm. “We have notified the police at Area E Command, but we are yet to get any positive response.”
Spokesperson for the Nigeria Customs Service, Tin-Island Command, Uche Ejesieme, a Chief Superintendent of Customs, confirmed the incident. He informed that the Customs high command had been notified, adding “the woman is attached to SDV, one of Custom’s bonded terminals, attached to Tincan Island Command.
“The family has reported to police and we are sure they have begun investigation with a view to rescue her.”