…. they Gave Us The Worst Treatment
..trekked for three days non-stop in the forest
… They say Southerners have joined the Fulani Herdsmen in the kidnapping Business
…. Kidnappers’ collected N7.5m ransom.
Three persons who were a few days ago kidnapped in Edo state by some heavily armed gunmen say the Fulani herdsmen that kidnapped them made them trek in the forest for three days non-stop.
The three victims, Richy Ihensekhien, Racheal Obadoni and Maryam Ighodaro spoke with standard Gazette crime correspondent Festus Alenkhe.
They said they were traveling to Ujogba in Esan West local government area of Edo state to attend a funeral ceremony on Saturday 23 January, 2021.
Richy Ihensekhien who was driving the car said they decided to drive through lsi-Ugieghudu road in Uhumwuode local government area of Edo state for easy access to Ujogba.
The victim said they had just passed a police checkpoint when he suddenly heard “gunshots” only for him to see heavily armed men who pointed guns into his car.
He narrated further that he tried to reverse the car to escape but “there were other armed men behind him who immediately opened fire.”
He was forced to stop by the bandits.
The gunmen quickly advanced towards the three of them in the car and kidnapped them into the forest where they spent five days in captivity.
Speaking further, they said, out of the five days they spent in the forest, the five Fulani herdsmen which also have two Southerners made them walk inside the forest non-stop for three days.
They walked through streams, rivers, valleys and hills in the wake of wild animals in the Bush including dangerous reptiles like giant snakes.
The victims said, “the forest was like a no man’s land for the kidnappers as they operate freely unhindered.”
They said they were not fed but were only given dirty water from the stream to drink.
The victims said, “life was almost becoming miserable and frustrating as we were tired and stressed out in the forest from the three days non stop trekking.”
They told Standard Gazette that those who kidnapped them “nominated a spokesman who said he graduated from one of the universities in the southern part of Nigeria to negotiate ransom.”
The sum of 7.5 million naira was later given to the said kidnappers as ransom.
After the collection of the ransom, they were set free.
The victims said , they don’t wish their ordeals for their worst enemies.
According to them, “We saw hell as we have to start begging our family members to quickly send money after they threatened to kill the three of us if ransom did not come the next day”.
The victims, however, called for intensive security patrols including stop and search in most roads in Edo state.
They said the gunmen usually calculate and monitor the security agents before they strike.