Two of the 16 travellers rescued from kidnappers in Kogi State have recounted their nearly 48-hour ordeal in captivity, revealing that their abductors demanded millions of naira in ransom and threatened to sell them to ritualists if their demands were not met.
The victims, identified as Ngozi Stephen and Joshua Daniel, spoke on Tuesday at the Kogi State Police Command headquarters following their rescue.
The travellers were abducted on Sunday when armed criminals attacked commuters along the Ojuwo Ajengo Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads in Ofu Local Government Area.
They were rescued the following day during a joint operation involving the Nigerian Army, Navy, police and local vigilantes along the Ajaokuta-Anyigba road.
According to the military, the rescued group comprised six adult men, six adult women and four children. They were subsequently taken for documentation, medical checks and reunification with their families.
However, the rescue operation came at a cost, as a local hunter was killed while a police officer sustained injuries during the confrontation with the kidnappers.
‘They Demanded N50m, N70m, N100m’
Ngozi said the kidnappers forced her to serve as an interpreter because she speaks Hausa fluently. She explained that the abductors assigned different ransom amounts to the victims and made her communicate the demands.
“They told me, tell this person N50 million, tell this person N100 million, tell this person N70 million,” she said.
Ngozi said the kidnappers also demanded N70 million from her and threatened to beat her when she appealed for a reduction, although she was not physically assaulted.
The kidnappers reportedly collected the victims’ phones and switched them off, occasionally returning the devices when they wanted the victims to contact their relatives and make ransom demands.
The ordeal became more frightening when the abductors allegedly threatened to sell the victims to ritualists if the ransom was not paid.
Ngozi said the kidnappers fled after hearing gunshots from security forces during the rescue operation. The victims later recovered some of their phones and laptops, which the criminals had abandoned.
‘I Bled Throughout the Night’
Daniel said he sustained a serious injury while attempting to escape shortly after the abduction.
He said he spotted an opening and ran into a nearby bush, but one of the kidnappers pursued him and attacked him with a cutlass.
Daniel raised his hand to protect himself, but the weapon reportedly cut a vein, leaving him bleeding throughout the night.
He said the bleeding eventually stopped after he applied herbs to the wound the following morning.
Daniel added that the kidnappers spoke Igala, Fulani and Hausa, making it difficult for the victims to understand their conversations. He recalled that one of the abductors identified himself as Peter.
Despite his injury, Daniel said he helped carry an injured police officer from the kidnappers’ hideout to the main road after the rescue.
He expressed appreciation to the security personnel involved in the operation while mourning the local hunter who lost his life.
The rescue has again highlighted the security challenges facing travellers along major roads in Kogi and neighbouring states, where armed groups continue to target commuters and communities.
Security agencies are expected to intensify efforts to track the fleeing kidnappers and prevent further attacks in the area.
