By Sabiu Abdullahi
Two of the 16 victims rescued from kidnappers in Kogi State have recounted their experience in captivity, including threats to hand them over to ritualists if their ransom demands were not met.
The victims, Ngozi Stephen and Joshua Daniel, spoke on Tuesday at the Kogi State Police Command headquarters after their release.
The victims were reportedly abducted on Sunday after armed criminals attacked commuters along the Ojuwo–Ajengo–Memarebo and Ojiwo–Itobe roads in Ofu Local Government Area.
Security operatives later rescued them on Monday along the Ajaokuta-Anyigba road in Ofu during a joint operation involving the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, police and local vigilantes.
A local hunter was killed during the operation, while a police officer sustained injuries.
According to the security authorities, the rescued group comprised six adult males, six females and four children. They were undergoing documentation, medical checks and reunification with their families.
Ngozi said the kidnappers made her act as an interpreter because she could speak Hausa fluently.
She said the abductors assigned different ransom amounts to the victims and ordered her to communicate the demands to them.
“So they told me, tell this person N50 million, tell this person N100 million, tell this person N70 million. That was how they were sharing it,” she recalled.
“So I would tell them, okay, this is what they said, this is the amount they said you should bring.
“Even me, they said N70 million. So even when I tried to plead and ask them to reduce it a little, they threatened to beat me up because they were beating people and all that.”
Ngozi said the kidnappers did not beat her, possibly because they needed her services as an interpreter.
She added that the abductors collected the victims’ mobile phones and switched them off. The phones were brought back only when the kidnappers wanted the victims to contact their relatives about ransom payments.
“At some point, they were even threatening that if we were not able to provide the money, they would just sell us to ritualists and all that,” the lady narrated.
She said the kidnappers abandoned the victims and fled after hearing gunshots from the security forces. They also left behind a bag containing phones and laptops taken from the abductees.
“We were able to get back our phones. We were also able to get back the laptops. Thank God. We are now safe,” she said.
‘I BLED THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT’
Daniel, another rescued victim, said he sustained a serious injury while attempting to escape from the abductors.
He said he noticed an opening shortly after their abduction and ran towards a nearby bush. One of the kidnappers pursued him and attempted to attack him with a weapon.
Daniel said he raised his hand to shield himself, but the weapon cut his vein.
“That is when the cutlass landed here and cut my vein. So, I was bleeding throughout the night,” he said.
“But the bleeding stopped this morning when I got some herbs and put them on the wound before the bleeding stopped.”
Daniel said one of his captors introduced himself as Peter. He added that the kidnappers spoke Igala, Fulani and Hausa among themselves to prevent the victims from understanding their conversations.
He expressed appreciation to the security personnel who rescued them but lamented the death of the local hunter during the operation.
Daniel also said he helped carry the injured police officer from the kidnappers’ hideout to the main road despite the injury to his hand.
“Even when I had this cut on my hand, I helped in carrying the officer from where we were held captive to the main road where we entered the car. My hand was swelling,” he added.
