Gunmen on Friday evening abducted the Chairman of Sapele Local Government Area in Delta State, Chief Bright Abeke, in a brazen attack that heightened tension across the community.
The incident occurred around 7 p.m. at a hotel located along Owumi Road in Sapele, where the attackers reportedly stormed the premises and opened fire to disperse residents and guests.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants, numbering about 15, arrived in a Range Rover and two other vehicles before heading straight for their target.
“They came shooting into the air, causing panic everywhere. People started running for safety,” a witness recounted. “They knew exactly who they were after and wasted no time taking him away.”
During the attack, a member of a local vigilante group, identified simply as Ufuoma, was shot and rushed to a nearby hospital. His condition was not immediately confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
Residents said the abduction came less than 24 hours after suspected gunmen allegedly issued threats in the area, raising fresh concerns about rising insecurity.
Following the incident, security operatives moved swiftly to cordon off major entry and exit points in Sapele as efforts intensified to rescue the abducted council boss.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, said the command had launched an operation to secure the chairman’s release.
“The incident has been confirmed,” Edafe said.
“The Commissioner of Police has directed the special anti-kidnapping unit to deploy all necessary resources to ensure the victim is rescued unharmed and the perpetrators are apprehended.”
Authorities say investigations are ongoing as security agencies continue their search for the abductors.
