A Kogi State kidnap survivor, Victor Anyichie, has recounted the brutal treatment he allegedly suffered after kidnappers learnt that his family could only raise N500,000 as ransom for his release.
Anyichie was among 16 passengers rescued by security operatives after gunmen abducted them along two roads in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State last Sunday.
The victims were rescued the following day during a joint operation involving the Nigerian Army, Navy, police and local vigilantes along the Ajaokuta-Anyigba road.
Speaking at the Kogi State Police Command headquarters after his rescue, Anyichie said the abductors demanded different sums from the victims, with their ransom requests reportedly ranging from N2m to N100m.
He said his ordeal worsened after he informed the gang that his family could only afford N500,000.
According to him, the disclosure angered the kidnappers, who allegedly subjected him to severe beating.
“I happened to be the only one who collected every beating of my life in their hands. They would say, ‘You, N70m; you, N100m; you, N50m; and children, N2m.’
“I told them my people could only raise N500,000. Suddenly, they descended on me, beating me mercilessly,” he recounted.
Anyichie said the gang repeatedly moved the victims between different locations and appeared to have people monitoring their movements.
He explained that he had noticed some of the kidnappers before the abduction, with members of the gang allegedly posing as passengers in a red Toyota Yaris.
According to him, the vehicle overtook their bus and blocked its movement after the driver failed to act on a signal from another vehicle.
He said the bus driver attempted to escape into the bush, but about six armed men emerged and opened fire.
Anyichie said the gang leader was carrying an AK-47, while other members had a pump-action rifle and a pistol.
He added that the victims were eventually taken back towards the area where they were initially abducted before security operatives engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle.
The survivor said the passengers escaped unhurt except for one who sustained a deep cut, while a local vigilante was killed during the rescue operation.
Another victim, Ngozi Stephen, said the kidnappers demanded N70m from her and threatened her after she pleaded with them to reduce the amount.
Stephen, who speaks Hausa fluently and served as an interpreter during the ordeal, said the gang seized the victims’ phones and switched them off.
She added that the kidnappers threatened to sell the victims to ritualists if their ransom demands were not met.
Stephen said the abductors fled when security operatives began shooting, abandoning bags containing phones and laptops belonging to the victims.
Meanwhile, another survivor, identified as Daniel, disclosed that he sustained a serious injury while attempting to escape from the kidnappers.
He said he ran into the bush after noticing an opening, but one of the abductors pursued him and attempted to attack him with a cutlass.
Daniel said he raised his hand to protect himself, resulting in a deep injury that caused him to bleed throughout the night.
He said he later used herbs to treat the wound before the bleeding stopped.
The victim added that the abductors used Igala, Fulani and Hausa during their conversations, making it difficult for the captives to understand what they were discussing.
The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Naziru Bello Kankarofi, confirmed that the victims were rescued during a coordinated operation involving the police, Army, Department of State Services, vigilantes and hunters.
He said security agencies had intensified efforts to locate and rescue other victims still being held by the kidnappers in the area.
0 Comments