by Rachel Ogbu

The Briton who was kidnapped on Thursday, July 18 after arriving Lagos international airport has been named.

The Lagos State Police Command, on Friday, said intense investigation has started to rescue Lee Dixon, and an operation aimed at securing his freedom is in full gear.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, said the incident occurred Thursday night at about 8.30 pm around Mafoluku area which is a little distance from the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

FAAN spokesperson, Yakubu Dati, said: “An expatriate, Lee Dixon, a Briton, who arrived on KLM from Armsterdam, was kidnapped around Mafoluku area at about 2030 hours (8.30 pm), 18/07/2013. His driver, Kojo Jacobs, an employee of Russell, an oil services company based in Lekki, was driving him in a black Kia Sportage registered MA 266 EKY, when they were accosted.”

“The gunmen shot the driver and took away the expatriate; the driver is receiving treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos.”

[READ: Insecurity: How Briton was kidnapped in Lagos]

The Punch reports:

Earlier reports were sketchy, but it was confirmed that the two men were attacked after leaving the terminal of the Lagos airport and that the driver had survived after being shot by the gunmen.

It was not clear if the abductors had made any demand for ransom, but the police PRO, Ngozi Braide promised to keep our correspondent informed on the issue.

Following earlier reports that the incident occurred around the airport, the Airport Police Command was quick to deny that the incident occurred within the airport, insisting that it was beyond their jurisdiction.

The Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Bayo Ajileye, told one of our correspondents on the telephone that he would have to refer him to the state police command because nothing like that happened within the airport.

Also, the Public Relations Officer of the Airport Command, Dennis Ifijen, said he was “surprised” by the news.

He said, “I’m not aware of it; we don’t have it in our records. I’m surprised because I’ve not heard anything like that. I don’t know where the information came from.”