Benin – Gunmen on Sunday morning stormed the home of promising footballer, Austin Osaze Agbantaen in Benin.
The men numbering four shot his father and abducted his younger sister.
According to family sources, the attack was as a result of Agbontaen’s refusal to push drugs for a cartel leader that brought him to Italy earlier in May.
The footballer who will turn 18 years this month was expecting to be Introduced to a European club upon arrival in the country, as earlier promised him in Nigeria, instead he was told to start with the drug trade before starting his soccer career.
“It was the person that carry Austin to Italy through libya that is sponsoring all this attack, because he wants the poor boy (Austin osaze Agbontaen) to pay him 10,000,000 naira or else his entire family will be wiped out.
“This is not first time they’ve attack them, but not bloody like this. They carried him (Austin) abroad with a promise to find a club in Europe, only to introduce him to drug business “, a family member told our correspondent via telephone conversation.
It was gathered that the injured father was shot in his right leg, and he is currently battling with life threatening condition at an undisclosed medical facility.
When our correspondent visited the footballer’s home at No.6 isibor street in ikpoba hill, Benin City yesterday it was deserted.
It was further gathered that the family members and other occupants of the building has since gone into hiding.
“Austin only wanted to play football; that is what will know him for. He wanted to earn good money and take his family out of poverty.
“Only God knows if his father will survive in the hospital, because the man already have high blood pressure. Not strong”, the family member further sobbed.
However, the police in Benin said they were already on the trail of all the gunmen who enter the neighborhood through nearby Ikpoba river, teboga road.
The police vowed to secure the release of the abducted lady and bring the attackers to justice.
“Sure; we will get her out soon. But we will stop at nothing to get the prepetrators arrested and prosecuted, ASP musa saliu, investigative police officer responded through a text message.
The abduted lady was yet to regain her freedom from captivity as at the time of filling this report
