Gunmen Attack Adamawa Football Team on Benin-Ore Road

• Abduct team’s driver, demand N20m ransom
• Cart away money, phones, other valuables

By Daji Sani

Players and officials of Adamawa United FC yesterday came under gruesome attack along Benin-Ore expressway, leading to abduction of the team’s driver.

Shortly after the team’s driver was abducted, his abductors demanded a ransom of N20 million as a condition to release the driver from their captivity.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youths and Sports, Adamawa State, Alhaji Aliyu Jada confirmed the attack yesterday, acknowledging that the driver of the team was abducted.

Like the case of the Okene-Abuja expressway, kidnapping for ransom has been frequent along the Benin-Ore expressway while security agencies have been accused of complicity.

Fulani herdsmen had also been accused of kidnapping for ransom in Edo, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo States, a trend that compelled Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu to direct all herdsmen in forests to quit immediately.

In Oyo State, a Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Igboho (Adeyemo) had flushed criminal herdsmen from Igangan, Oke Ogun, Ibarapa, Igboho and other parts of the state for alleged killing, kidnapping for ransom, raping and illegal occupation of farmlands.

Confirming the incident on Saturday, the permanent secretary said the gunmen abducted the team driver, lamenting that the driver “is presently anguishing in the custody of his abductors.

Jada, also, revealed that his kidnappers had contacted the team manager and demanded a ransom of N20 million within 24 hours as a condition to release the driver.

He explained how the attack happened on Saturday at about 6:30 a.m., saying the players and officials were on their way for their week 11 NPFL match against MFM FC in Lagos.

However, contrary to Jada’s reports, eyewitness accounts revealed that the gunmen attacked the team at about 11:30 p.m. on Friday, carting away phones, money and other valuable items belonging to the players and officials of the football team.

A player of the team, Sadiq Lawan, who was in the bus and narrowly escaped with his phone, told THISDAY on phone that the incident happened at about 1130pm along Benin-Ore expressway, an entirely different account from Jada’s.

He said: “About 8 of them came out from the bush and started shooting into the air. They ordered us out of the bus, took our money and phones from us. It was later we found out that our driver was taking away with them.

“We discontinued the journey. We returned to Benin City immediately. When we got to the Benin axis, our coach immediately went to the nearest police station to report the incident. I do not know if Edo FA has been contacted on the unfortunate incident.”

As at the time of sending this report, no official statement has been made concerning the incident, although efforts were made to contact the chairman of the club, Mr. Emmanuel Zira. But he could not be reached.