LAGOS AUGUST 25TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The Police Command in Edo on Saturday confirmed the kidnap of Chief Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Moses Eguavoen, who confirmed the kidnap to newsmen in Benin, said that Mr. Ozekhome was kidnapped on Friday on the Benin-Auchi Road.
Mr. Eguavoen said that intelligence report also confirmed that the kidnappers abducted Mr. Ozekhome’s driver and killed four police officers in a shootout.
He said that some of the suspected kidnappers escaped with bullet wounds.
The Edo State House of Assembly recently passed a bill for law prescribing death penalty for kidnappers in the state.
Section four of the law says that any person who attempts to commit kidnapping is liable upon conviction to life imprisonment.
Read our earlier post below
Senior lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was kidnapped on Friday evening at the Ehor stretch of the Benin-Auchi motorway, National Daily newspaper is reporting.
The paper is also reporting that four policemen who responded to the distress call by a witness were ambushed and killed by the kidnappers.
According to the newspaper, the kidnappers who were in a Toyota Hilux pick-up and a Toyota Camry car shot at the front right-side tyre of the Toyota Prado conveying Mr. Ozekhome who was on his way to Estako, Edo State.
Mr. Ozekhome, alongside his driver, was subsequently abducted.
A police team led by the Edo State Commissioner of Police that later arrived at the scene retrieved a phone from Mr. Ozekhome’s car. A police officer put a call through to a number saved as “My wife”. A voice at the other end of the call confirmed that the phone belonged to her husband who is the driver of Mr. Ozekhome. She also confirmed that the car belonged to Mr. Ozekhome after the police officer described it to her.
National Daily also reported that legal paraphernalia such as a wig, gown, and clothing belonging to the lawyer were found in the abandoned SUV.
When contacted, the Nigerian police spokesperson, Frank Mba, and his assistant, Abayomi shogunle, said they are not aware of the kidnap.
Moses Eguavoen, the spokesperson of the Edo State police, refused to entertain any questions, saying he was on his way to a funeral; and hung-up his phone.
Source: Premium Times