Two of the 16 victims rescued from kidnappers in Kogi State have recounted the harrowing experience they endured while in captivity.
The victims were abducted on Sunday when armed men attacked commuters along roads in Ofu Local Government Area of the state.
They were rescued on Monday following a joint operation involving troops of the Nigerian Army, personnel of the Nigerian Navy, the police and local vigilantes.
One of the rescued victims, Ngozi Stephen, said the kidnappers forced her to interpret their ransom demands because she speaks Hausa.
According to her, the abductors demanded varying sums from the victims’ families, with some ransom demands reaching as high as N100 million.
She said the kidnappers demanded N70 million for her release and threatened to beat her when she pleaded for a reduction.
Ngozi also disclosed that the kidnappers confiscated the victims’ phones and switched them off, only returning the devices when they wanted the victims to contact their relatives over ransom payments.
She said the abductors repeatedly threatened to sell the victims to ritualists if their ransom demands were not met.
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“At some point, they were even threatening that if we were not able to provide the money, they would just sell us to ritualists.”
Ngozi said the kidnappers fled after hearing gunshots from security operatives during the rescue operation, abandoning some of the victims’ phones and laptops.
Another rescued victim, Joshua Daniel, said he sustained a serious injury while attempting to escape.
Daniel said one of the kidnappers chased him and attacked him with a cutlass, leaving him with a deep wound that caused severe bleeding throughout the night.
Despite his injury, he said he later assisted in evacuating an injured police officer during the rescue operation.
Daniel also identified one of the alleged kidnappers as Peter and said the abductors communicated among themselves in Igala, Fulani and Hausa.
The rescue operation, however, came at a cost, as a local hunter was killed while a police officer sustained injuries.
The rescued victims comprised six adult men, six women and four children.
They were undergoing documentation, medical assessment and reunification with their families.
The incident has once again highlighted the dangers faced by commuters in parts of Kogi State and the growing threat posed by kidnapping and ransom-driven criminal activities.
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