Two of the 16 kidnapping victims rescued in Kogi State, Ngozi Stephen and Joshua Daniel, have recounted their nearly 48-hour ordeal in the hands of their abductors.
The victims were abducted on Sunday when armed men attacked commuters along the Ojuwo–Ajengo–Memarebo and Ojiwo–Itobe roads in Ofu Local Government Area, according to the Nigerian military.
They were rescued on Monday during a joint operation involving the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force and local vigilantes along the Ajaokuta–Anyigba road in Ofu.
A local hunter was killed while a police officer sustained injuries during the operation.
The 16 rescued victims comprised six adult men, six adult women and four children. Authorities said they were undergoing documentation, medical assessment and reunification with their families.
Speaking on Tuesday at the Kogi State Police Command headquarters, Ngozi said the kidnappers used her as an interpreter because she speaks Hausa fluently.
She said the abductors gave different ransom demands for the victims and instructed her to communicate the amounts.
“They told me, tell this person N50 million, tell this person N100 million, tell this person N70 million. That was how they were sharing it,” she said.
Ngozi said the kidnappers demanded N70 million for her release. She added that when she pleaded for a reduction, they threatened her with violence.
She said she was not beaten, possibly because she was helping them communicate with the other victims.
According to her, the abductors seized the victims’ phones and switched them off, but occasionally returned them when the victims needed to contact relatives over ransom payments.
She said the kidnappers also threatened to sell the victims to ritualists if they could not raise the demanded ransoms.
Ngozi said the abductors fled after hearing gunshots from the security operatives, leaving behind a bag containing phones and laptops taken from the victims.
“We were able to get back our phones. We were also able to get back the laptops. Thank God. We are now safe,” she said.
Daniel, meanwhile, said he sustained a deep cut while attempting to escape shortly after the victims were abducted.
He said he spotted an opening and ran into a nearby bush, but one of the kidnappers pursued him and tried to attack him with a cutlass.
Daniel said he raised his hand to protect himself and suffered an injury to a vein.
“That is when the cutlass landed here and cut my vein. So, I was bleeding throughout the night,” he said.
He said the bleeding stopped the following morning after he applied herbs to the wound.
Daniel said one of the kidnappers identified himself as Peter, while the captors spoke Igala, Fulani and Hausa among themselves, apparently to prevent the victims from understanding their conversations.
He expressed gratitude to the security personnel involved in the rescue operation but also mourned the local hunter who was killed.
Daniel commiserated with the hunter’s family and said the sacrifice made during the operation should not be forgotten.
Despite his injury, he said he helped carry the wounded police officer from the location where the victims were held to the main road, where they were evacuated.
