A rescued student of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, Ogun State, has recounted the horrifying experience he and other victims endured after they were abducted from their hostel.
The student, whose identity was not disclosed, said the kidnappers killed a man in the forest and later showed the abducted victims the bodies of people they allegedly murdered after their families failed to pay ransom.
He shared his experience in a video documentary on the rescue operation released by the Ogun State Police Command on Tuesday.
The students were abducted on July 29 from their hostel located off campus in the Ipara area of Ogun State.
According to the victim, the gunmen stormed their residence while shooting repeatedly before moving from one apartment to another.
He said the abductors accused them of being internet fraudsters and asked who their “boss” was, but the students explained that they were only students.
The victim said the kidnappers eventually tied their hands behind their backs and led them into the forest.
He recalled that while they were being taken away, they encountered another man in the bush.
“On our way, we met someone inside the bush, a man there. They killed the man. They tied his hands behind his back, they stabbed him, and they killed him. They left him there,” he said.
The student said the incident left the victims terrified, particularly after the abductors warned them that they could suffer the same fate if their families failed to pay ransom.
He said the kidnappers later took them to another part of the forest where they allegedly showed them dead bodies.
According to him, the abductors claimed the bodies belonged to people whose relatives had failed to pay the demanded ransom.
The student disclosed that the kidnappers demanded as much as N30m from each victim, although the amounts were later reduced for some victims following negotiations with their families.
He said the victims were subjected to harsh conditions, including hunger, beatings and inadequate food and water. At one point, they were reportedly given garri to eat.
The abductors also allegedly moved mainly at night and ordered the victims to hide whenever they noticed vehicles or motorcycles approaching.
The student said the victims were eventually rescued during a coordinated operation involving security agencies.
He recalled that the kidnappers attempted to flee with the victims when security operatives attacked their hideout.
During the escape, he sustained a gunshot wound to his leg while trying to move towards what he initially thought were police officers.
He later pretended to be dead when the kidnappers returned to check on him.
Inside Ogun state:
Ogun Poly Student Killed in Robbery Attack as Security Agencies Launch Investigation
Five Students Abducted as Gunmen Attack Ogun Polytechnic Hostel
Police Arrest 22-Year-Old Murder Suspect, Rescue Kidnap Victim in Ogun
The student said he eventually heard a police officer asking others to check whether he was alive. He then called out and identified himself as one of the kidnapped students.
He was subsequently rescued alongside another victim.
Following the operation, the Nigeria Police Force confirmed that three suspected kidnappers were killed during a gun battle with security operatives, while other members of the gang escaped with gunshot injuries.
The rescued student expressed gratitude to the police and other security personnel involved in the operation, saying the experience had changed his perception of the police.
“I am very grateful. I am happy that I am alive today, even though I have an injury in my leg,” he said.
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