The Edo Police Command has confirmed the death of the driver to the state Chairman of the Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji bdul-Hamid Egele.
The command’s Spokesman, SP Kontongs Bello, confirmed the death to newsmen in Benin on Tuesday night.
The deceased, whose identity could not be ascertained, was driving Egele’s backup car when they were attacked by gunmen that abducted him.
Egele was abducted in his Jattu home on Monday evening. His assailants had intercepted his motorcade, killing his driver on the spot. The hoodlums also shot and wounded the second driver and security operative attached to him.
Bello said that the second driver died as a result of the serious bullet injuries he suffered during the attack. He said that Egele’s abductors had yet to contact his family; adding that the command had begun a rescue operation in the area.
“I got the news that the driver of the second vehicle, who was severely injured in the attack, is dead.
“The chairman’s family has yet to be contacted…We hope that the bush-combing exercise will lead to the rescue of the victim and arrest of his abductors,” Bello said.
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According to eyewitness account, Egele, popularly called Baba Petrol, was abducted at about 7.00pm. The attack occurred as he was returning home after the day’s business.
“The gunmen, who drove in two unmarked vehicles, ambushed him near his house and fired at his jeep. He was taken away by the gunmen after they overpowered and injured his security,’’ the eyewitness further said.
Meanwhile, an official of the Anambra Traffic Management Agency (ATMA) was on Tuesday in Awka, shot by yet to be identified gunmen.
This was disclosed by DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra, in a statement.
The Anambra Police PRO confirmed the incident and identified the victim as one Mr Chinedu Onwuka. Tochukwu said that the hoodlums were sighted at Ekwulobia-Umunze road where they tried to disarm a team of police personnel but were fiercely resisted with superior fire power.
He said that the gunmen shot sporadically in a bid to escape; adding that their bullet hit the traffic official and killed him instantly.
