Maha Christopher
Panic erupted on Sunday evening at a popular vegetable market along Airport Road in Benin City, Edo State, after armed men abducted a woman while her husband escaped during the attack.
According to Vanguard, the incident occurred near the residence of former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi.
The woman was reportedly at the market with her husband and children when the gunmen arrived and launched the operation. Witnesses said the attackers shot at two tyres of the family’s vehicle, where the husband had been waiting.
A witness who claimed to have been at the scene described the incident as a frightening experience and said she sustained injuries while helping to rescue the woman’s children.
“Today, for the first time, I experienced kidnapping in my life,” she said in a video seen by reporters.
The witness showed mud stained clothes and bruises on her body, stating that she had fallen while trying to protect the children during the chaos.
Footage believed to be from a CCTV camera showed one of the assailants alighting from a red vehicle and shooting at the tyres of a grey vehicle before dragging the driver, believed to be the woman’s husband, toward their car.
The man reportedly struggled free and fled the scene as the gunmen chased after him. Moments later, the attackers returned, seized the woman and sped away.
Following the incident, a security alert reportedly circulated within the Edo State Security Corps, warning operatives that the suspects were allegedly dressed in corps uniforms. Personnel were directed to stop and search red vehicles and apprehend any suspicious individuals for questioning.
Confirming the incident, the Edo State Police Command said an investigation had commenced.
Police spokesperson Eno Ikoedem said the woman, her husband and their children had visited the market after church service when the incident occurred.
“I’m aware there was an abduction incident in that area earlier today and we are already investigating the matter,” she said.
Ikoedem added that the police could not disclose further details at this stage, noting that the victim’s husband and other family members were cooperating with investigators.
She assured that more information would be made available as the investigation progresses.
