spent seven days in kidnappers’ den after she was
abducted in Ilaro area of the state, narrates her ordeal.
What was the experience like, being in captivity for seven
days?
It was a wonderful experience.
It tells the story of the face of God on anyone’s life,
including myself.
It’s an excruciating and unexpected pain that I went through
in the hands of my captors.
Since your release some 24hours ago, how has the feeling
been?
The last 24hours since my release, I’m really happy
Your driver said some people crossed your path suddenly;
narrate what actually happened on that fateful day?
My driver and the occupants of the vehicle with me - a Civil
Defence young man who was my orderly - were accosted
and thrown out of the vehicle; I was prevented from running
out; and their own team entered my car and drove off.
They drove towards Imashayi. I was coming from my
farm. They drove straight towards the forest and after we
turned at Aiyetoro, they parked inside the bush. They
organised an Okada rider - it looked as if the Okada rider
had been used for this type of operation before. One of the
men was armed. We mounted the bike and rode into the
Aiyetoro woodland.
How did your captors treat you while with them?
It was very tough, very very tough.
It was tough initially.
In the first forest where I was taken, I was moved to
another place where they would not be found.
Then their leader, who drove my car, came to join us later.
He told me what he needed from me, N100million
Did they torture you and did you sustain injuries of any
sort?
They did not torture me but the instrument of moving from
one point to another was very stressful and painful
We fell down several times on the bike in the forest and the
exhaust pipe, the silencer of the bike burnt my leg.
They didn’t allow me to cry; each time that happened, they
would say I should shut up because they did not want
people to suspect.
While in captivity, what was going through your mind?
In the beginning, I was confused because I never thought
such could happen in our area.
But what was going on in my mind, especially after we
moved to the second bush, the gang leader said if I loved
myself, I should make contact quickly for the payment of
the N100 million ransom so that I could leave their camp.
After the first negotiation, he disappeared.
How did you make contact? Did they do it for you or you
were allowed to make the contact?
They seized my phones and the kingpin had everything.
When he came again, it was at the third camp.
According to what they were discussing, I think they got a
wrong information. They were looking for money and they
said they won’t release me unless they got money.
All the contacts on my phone, the kingpin had access to
them and then he would ask me who to call.
He would make the call and make it conference call so I
couldn’t say much because he would hear whatever I said.
I think by the second day, I had a slight idea of where we
were because there were some churches in the distance
doing night vigil and they were talking about the area while
praying, Obada, but I couldn’t disclose where I was.
They started calling people that I had been captured by
kidnappers and that they should bring N100million.
People were saying they would negotiate and people were
begging them that they should reduce the ransom.
The kingpin said even if I didn’t have money, I had influence
and I should be able to raise the money thorough people
who would love me not to die.
While there, who were you thinking of?
I was thinking about the rocks of God.
As in among family members or friends, who were the
people you were thinking of?
I was thinking of everyone that I had had contact with, that I
love, especially the people around me here in Ilaro.
What about the rescue?
I didn’t eat. I was fasting. I told them I needed water, two
bottles of water. I was taking that every day,
But at some point, even the people knew the game was up.
It was the armed guard among them who lamented that
‘madam, your people are not cooperating and we have been
told to kill you’.
But he said he didn’t have the mind to kill me.
He then told me that, some times, even after people had
paid ransom, they still killed their victims.
But I said ‘God will not allow you to kill me’.
I also told them that I had offered them what I could offer
which they rejected and that if I had N100million, I would
not be farming and even if I would be farming I would be a
distant farmer.
It was just the favour of God that I got, that made me
survive the ordeal.
It was just God. We were in the same forest for those days
and we were moving from one place to the other - in the
same forest.
Even some Fulani herdsmen were moving about in the
forest but they didn’t want people to know something like
abduction or kidnap had happened. So each time the
herdsmen were around, they would quickly move to another
location.
On the day I was released, I discovered that things were not
getting any easier for them, so one of them came to me and
said ‘madam, you are going home today’.
I thought I would be left alone to move out in the bush but
they said no, that they were calling the same Okada man to
come and pick us at a particular time.
I didn’t believe it would happen but at about 4pm, the man
surfaced with food in a polythene bag and said I should eat
but I refused and said no, that if I would eat, I would do that
when I get home.
Then suddenly, the rain started again. Even the day I was
captured, there was a downpour.
Would you forgive them?
I have forgiven them, not my captors but the boys that were
with me in the bush there.
One of them said they had been told to kill me but that they
could not.
One even said they were not making any money from the
deal. I said I knew, although I wasn’t too sure.
Because what I had offered them would have at least helped
them to clean up.
I have forgiven those four boys and if I have an opportunity
of a reform, I would do it for them.
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