Kidnappers chained us for 30 days, forced us to drink from pond – Victims

Two businessmen who were kidnapped along Gbugbu Road in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State have narrated their ordeals in the hand of their abducted for more than 30 days. The victims said the kidnappers chained their legs and forced them to drink water from a pond to remain alive. They also claimed to […]

Two businessmen who were kidnapped along Gbugbu Road in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State have narrated their ordeals in the hand of their abducted for more than 30 days.

The victims said the kidnappers chained their legs and forced them to drink water from a pond to remain alive.

They also claimed to have paid N105 million to secure their release after spending exactly 34 days in the hands of the armed bandits.

The victims, a filling station owner, Alhaji Abbas, and his manager, Malam Abubakar Issa, were abducted recently while returning home. 

Their vehicle was set ablaze before they were marched into the forest by seven gunmen armed with AK-49 rifles.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Trust at the headquarters of the Kwara State Police Command in Ilorin, Issa said the kidnappers initially demanded N200 million but later agreed to N105 million after intense negotiation and community support. 

“Our families sold houses, cars, and properties. Even people who didn’t have much contributed. Only Allah can reward everyone who helped,” he said.

He narrated that the ordeal began around 9pm when they were forced to trek through the forest until 5:30am the following morning. 

“We trekked all night with no food or water. Later, we drank from rainwater pools just to stay alive,” he recounted.

According to him, the kidnappers moved them from one location to another until they arrived at a remote base where their legs were chained for 30 days.

“We slept on bare ground under a makeshift shade. We were watched by two armed guards who never slept. Any movement without permission could get you shot,” he said.

Issa said they were given small portions of rice or spaghetti once a day. 

“We observed our prayers through Tayammum since there was no water. The kidnappers never prayed,” he added.

He described their leader as a man who spoke Hausa, Nupe, and Fulfulde fluently, and could switch between male and female voices. “When he spoke like a woman, it was so real that no one could suspect he wasn’t,” he said.

The manager added that the kidnappers confessed they went into abduction because people no longer carry cash, saying they now target those who use banks. 

He said most of them took hard drugs to stay awake through the night.

After the ransom was paid, Issa said the bandits brought two motorcycles and moved them through the forest for hours before abandoning them at night. 

They later found help from a Fulani man who sheltered them, gave them food, and helped them find their way to safety.

“It was only Allah’s mercy and the prayers of our people that brought us out alive,” he said, warning that the forest between Kwara and Ekiti has become a dangerous hideout under the control of armed bandits.

While thanking the government for the latest efforts against the bandits, he urged the combined security agencies, local hunters, vigilantes and troops to dislodge them from the forest for the surrounding communities to have peace.