Point News247 reports that the
Edo state chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) has urged the State Governor and the nation’s security agents to swing into action and ensure its chairman Alhaji Abdulhamid Baba-Saliu who is popularly known as Baba Petrol, is rescued from the kidnappers’ den.
It was earlier reported that the Edo State IPMAN Chairman was kidnapped on Monday at the entrance to his house in Jattu, Etsako West Local Government, Edo State, South-South Nigeria. His driver was shot and killed in the process, while another occupant of the vehicle they were riding in sustained gunshot injuries.
The incident was condemned in a statement made available by the State’s Assistant Secretary of IPMAN, Angelina Aigbokhai, as the association appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Security Service, the Nigeria Army and other relevant authorities to ensure Baba petrol is rescued unhurt.
The statement reads: “Our chairman was waylaid by his abductors near the ogieneni palace in Jattu with two vehicles without plate number and shot into the air to scare people away at about 7pm on Monday and kidnapped Baba at the entrance of his house while his driver Anthony popular known as Oyibo was shot dead by the gunmen.
“His security men, in an attempt to fight back were also badly injured by the kidnappers who escaped through the Ibie road after shooting the policemen by the Moore Boulevard junction in Jattu.
“The driver was shot at through the windscreen of the Toyota land cruiser of baba and fell down after hitting the gate of his boss where he died immediately.
“The kidnap which is seen as planned and orchestrated by enemies of Nigeria is one among many that have taken place in the country and Edo state in particular
“IPMAN as a body will not take this as a joke but as an attack on the entire body which will be highly resisted.
“The Association therefore called on the Inspector General of police, the Department of State Security Service, the Nigeria Army and other relevant authorities to ensure the released of our chairman unhurt as well as carry out immediate investigation to unravel the secret behind this abduction which many see as well planned and executed.
“We called on the state governor Godwin Obaseki and the president Mohammadu Buhari to fish out the perpetrators of this heinous crime in our nation Nigeria.
“We also sympathise with the family of the driver that was killed in the attack and those of the gallant officers of the Nigeria Police who were shot and injured during their gun duel with the evil men.
“It is our prayer that Baba is released unconditionally and unhurt”.