The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Our ordeal

  • Our ordeal in kidnappers’ den, by victims

    Three women, who were abducted by four kidnappers, have narrated how they were tortured to pay ransom before they were released.

    The women were kidnapped at spots in Benin City, Edo State by the gang, who posed as commercial bus driver and passengers.

    One of the victims, who gave her name as Faith, said she boarded a bus to Sapele Road while going home, but she didn’t know that the driver and passengers were kidnappers.

    She said she was blindfolded and taken to an unknown place where she was tortured and raped.

    The woman said her abductors demanded N5million from her parents as ransom, adding that N300,000 was withdrawn from her account.

    On how she recognised the suspects, she said they didn’t wear masks on the day they dropped her after spending three nights with them.

    Another victim, Princess Eweka, said she was going home and was on Ekenwan Road when a bus stopped and she was dragged inside.

    She said a male passenger was beaten up and thrown out of the bus.

    Eweka said she was tortured and beaten up, after which her parents paid N500,000 ransom.

    She said she recognised the suspects because they did not wear masks.

    The third victim, who gave her name as Blessing, said the kidnappers snatched her N400,000.

    She said she was abducted on Airport Road and taken to an unknown spot.

    Blessing said she refused to eat while in the kidnappers’ den for four days.

    Police Commissioner Babatunde Kokumo paraded the suspects, namely Ikechukwu Emmanuel, Friday Ihaza, Godspower Ezemene and Okonofua Friday.

    He said the command bust the gang following intelligence report, adding that they would soon be arraigned.

    The suspects said they resorted to kidnapping because of hunger.

  • ‘Our ordeal in kidnappers’ den’

    Two siblings, Abdusalam Olusa and Musa Olusa, abducted by gunmen between Ajowa-Akoko and Akunu-Akoko last weekend, have narrated their ordeal for six days in kidnappers’ den.

    They recalled how they were taken into the bush after suspected kidnappers waylaid them.

    The siblings said the miscreants maltreated them.

    Relations and neighbours at the Ora quarters, Ajowa home of the freed siblings jubilated at the weekend over their return.

    The elder sibling, Abdusalam, who nursed a leg wound, following long trek in the bush, said they were abducted while travelling in a Toyota Highlander sport utility vehicle to neighbouring Akunu town.

    “When our vehicle slowed down at a failed portion on the road, two gunmen emerged from the bush and stopped us,” he said.

    Abdulsalam said a minute later four others came out and ordered them to come out of the vehicle.

    He went on: “They collected our phones and ordered us to move to the bush. That was how our journey to the wilderness began. We abandoned our vehicle. In the first night, they tied us with a rope. They beat us up like animals.

    “The hoodlums were armed with guns, cutlasses and axes. At times they wore masks. They also painted their faces with charcoal and blue powder, to disguise.

    “Most times, four of them would go out for raids, while two others would watch over us where they tied us. Those who went out for raids would bring chicken, yam and other foodstuffs.

    “Our kidnappers have informants. They told us that they would kill us if the ransom negotiation failed.

    “We could not communicate with our family because the abductors seized our phones. There was no place to sleep; we drank water meant for cows.”

    The victims implored the Ondo State government to buy patrol vehicles to monitor Akoko boundaries.

    They said the bush should be combed to fish out criminals.

    The siblings said vigilance group members should be given incentives.

    They said the government was not sincere about fighting insecurity, as the police were not funded.

    The siblings said recently, Kemi, the wife of Alauga of Auga, Oba Samuel Agunloye and her driver were abducted for five days.

    “Also, Oluyani of Iyani Akoko, Oba Sunday Daodu and his second- in-command were kidnapped on Ikare-Owo Road.

    “The former regent of Akungba-Akoko, Mrs. Toyin Omosowon, was abducted at Ose on Owo-Ikare Akoko Road.”

    Akoko community spokesman Ibrahim Kilani said Akoko, being the gateway to Ondo State, deserved special security attention.

    He lamented that the police operated without vehicles and tools, stressing that shortage of policemen needed to be addressed.

    Kilani said police posts have been closed down in the community.

  • Freed Lagos pupils: Our captors tied our legs

    Freed Lagos pupils: Our captors tied our legs

    • Abductors tied our legs, beat us, exposed us to cold
    • Served us only red water, eba with crayfish soup
    • Two of us fell ill, bled from mouth

    Routine beatings. Exposure to the elements. Starvation. Un-hygienic food, and water. Illness.

    These were some of the torments the six kidnapped students of   the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, suffered during their 65 days in captivity, according to two of them yesterday.

    They were released on Friday through the combined efforts of the security agencies and Governors Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.

    “We were blindfolded, kept under the bridge with our legs tied. They fed us eba and crayfish soup,” one of the students (name withheld) told The Nation.

    And they were given ‘reddish water’ to slay their thirst, he said.

    Yusuf Farouk, Isiaka Ramon, Pelumi Philips, Peter Jonas, Adebanjo George and Judah Agbaosi were abducted  from their hostels- Yellow and Green houses- on May 25 by gunmen clad in police uniform.

    The maltreatment soon took a toll on them with two falling ill: they bled from the mouth.

    The victim said their abductors routinely beat them and left them in the open, day and night.

    Their only shelter was a bridge.

    But then they had no blankets or additional dresses to shield them from the elements.

    He said: “They were beating us. They fed us with eba and crayfish soup. They mixed the crayfish with pepper and water and then gave us to eat with eba.

    “They were giving us red water to drink. The water had a bad taste but no odour. It was polluted. They kept us under a bridge. They gave   us no bed sheets or blankets.”

    Their only wears all through were the dresses they had on when they were abducted and the replica jerseys provided by the kidnappers.

    That was what they wore into freedom on Friday.

    “They were the ones who gave us the replica jerseys,” he said.

    The student is now “fine and happy” to be back home with his family after all the trauma.

    “I have done my medical check up. I am fine and happy to be home with my family,” he said and paused, his mood changing immediately.

    That ended the conversation at the discretion of his interviewer.

    A second victim (name also withheld for security reasons) said they changed camps thrice during their captivity, enduring starvation at some point.

    One of the camps was made of cut trees and the kidnappers had to erect a tent to shield them from rain.

    As time went by the kidnappers allowed the boys to prepare their food, and move around, he said.

    His mother commended Lagos Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni and the Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) for standing by them throughout their ordeal.

    “Honestly, I do not want to expose my son to any danger. It is true he fell sick in the camp because we were told then,” she said.

    “He was kidnapped while he was recuperating from an illness and so, I think the environment they were kept and the trauma made him sick again. He was examined on Friday night and the doctors asked that we return to the hospital. But he is okay now.

     

  • Our ordeal, by Nigerian seafarers abducted by Somalian pirates

    Two Nigerian seafarers, Messrs Parson Gladdey and Kings Okoye, yesterday recounted how they were tortured by Somalian pirates who held them hostage in the high seas after hijacking their vessel , MT Grace, between Pakistani and Somalian waters.

    The pirates, according to the seafarers, accused them of carrying offensive chemicals and drugs; an allegation they denied.

    The pirates, they said, threatened to kill them if they failed to cooperate and encourage the vessel owner to pay as much as $25 million as ransom.

    The seafarers described as inhuman the treatment meted out to them, which led to the death of their third colleague from shock as the pirates continuously pointed gun at them, shooting sporadically to intimidate them.

    The seafarers arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, after they were rescued by the Spanish European Union war ship.

    The seafarers said they were sailing from Fujairah Port in Dubai with a vessel billed to arrive Apapa Port in Lagos, Nigeria, when the heavily armed Somalian pirates hijacked their vessel , which was 900 nautical miles from Somalian waters, shooting sporadically, until they surrendered and were held in captivity.

    They explained that other nationals including Indians, and other Asians on board the vessel were freed by the pirates, who insisted that the Nigerians should be tortured until the vessel owner paid a ransom.

    They explained that it is harrowing to sail from the Middle East , via Kenya or Somalia to Nigeria, because of the activities of pirates.

    They said as the vessel took off from the Fujarah Port in Dubai, they anticipated a smooth sail until they were some nautical miles between Pakistani and Somalian waters, when gun wielding pirates blocked their vessel and hijacked them.

    They said: ”As we set sail, we noticed some pirates and they started shooting and suddenly they surrounded our vessel and took us into their vessel.

    “They alleged that we were carrying drugs, offensive chemicals and others things, which we denied.

    “They threatened to kill us and throw us into the water if we failed to convince the owner to pay as much as $25 million as ransom.

    “We told them that if the owner of the vessel had so much money, he would have bought a brand new vessel.

    “They locked us in one of the rooms in the vessel and pointed gun at us, even when we went to the toilet.

    “They threatened that if we did not cooperate, they would kill us and throw our body into the sea.

    “It was when they pointed gun at us and were shooting that our other colleague died from shock..”

    They lamented the the shoddy way the vessel owner handled the matter, as he only engaged the International Police (INTERPOL) in London, which negotiated with the pirates, who then handed them over to the Spanish European Union Warship, which took then to Oman for treatment, from where their return to Nigeria was facilitated.

    The freed seafarers were received on arrival at the Lagos International Airport, by Ms Funmi Folorunso, representing African Shippers Association, and Rear Admiral Godwill Ombo (rtd).

    They said they were delighted to be back home to reunite with their families.