Suspected gunmen on Friday evening abducted the Chairman of Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, Bright Abeke, in a brazen attack that has heightened security concerns in the area.
The incident was said to have occurred around 7:25 p.m. at a hotel along Owumi Road, where the assailants reportedly stormed the premises in a vehicle and fired gunshots before whisking the council boss to an undisclosed location.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that the sudden attack caused panic among residents and guests in the vicinity, as the gunmen operated without immediate resistance.
During the operation, a member of the local vigilante group, identified simply as Ufuoma, and another individual sustained gunshot injuries while attempting to respond to the situation.
Sources disclosed that the injured vigilante had been rushed to a nearby medical facility for treatment, although details of his condition remained unclear as of press time.
Efforts to obtain an official response from security agencies proved abortive, as authorities had yet to issue a statement on the abduction.
Meanwhile, associates and supporters of the abducted chairman have converged on the area, anxiously seeking updates on his whereabouts amid growing fears over his safety.
The attack adds to the rising wave of insecurity in parts of Delta State, with residents calling for swift intervention by security operatives to secure the chairman’s release and restore confidence in public safety.