A graduate of the University of Jos, John Arum Azi, has recounted how he narrowly escaped death after what he believed was a genuine welding job offer turned out to be a deadly trap allegedly set by kidnappers in northern Nigeria.
Azi said the incident began on April 11, 2026, when he travelled from Jos to Zaria after being contacted repeatedly by individuals who promised him employment and even sent transport fare to convince him.
He narrated the experience during a testimony at a church in Tudun Wada, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, describing how desperation for work made him ignore early warning signs.
According to him, the suspects maintained regular phone contact before instructing him to meet them in Zaria, where he was directed to board a motorcycle to an unknown rural community.
He said doubts began to set in during the journey, but he proceeded because he needed the job badly.
Shortly after arriving, he was reportedly met by a man who claimed responsibility for the job arrangement and was later taken deeper into a forested area.
Azi said his fears were confirmed when he saw armed men waiting in the bush.
“I saw a gun I had never seen before. They tried to reassure me, but I knew something was wrong,” he recalled.
He explained that his belongings, including his phone and work tools, were immediately seized, while he was forced into unfamiliar clothing and made to cover his face.
The victim said he was later moved through difficult forest routes from Kaduna State into Zamfara State, spending hours on motorcycles without encountering security operatives.
“We kept moving through the bush for hours. There was no sign of security anywhere,” he said.
Azi said he was eventually taken to a hideout where he was tied up, and his family was contacted with a ransom demand of N30m.
He further alleged that he was repeatedly beaten and questioned during his captivity, adding that he initially denied his Christian faith out of fear for his life.
However, he said the kidnappers later discovered his religion after he cried out in pain during an assault.
“They began calling me ‘Pastor’ afterwards,” he said.
According to him, the abductors later reduced the ransom demand to N6m after negotiations but still demanded an additional N4m even after part payment was made.
Azi said his release eventually came after family members, friends and sympathisers rallied together to raise funds.
He described the experience as traumatic but said he remained grateful to be alive after spending 11 days in captivity.
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