How I had a close shave with death – Woman reveals kidnap experience

A young woman has narrated a horrifying experience in the hands of dare-devil kidnappers on her way to Enugu from Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

The incident occurred in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, which has become notorious for armed robbery and kidnapping incidents.

Narrating her experience to journalists, Mr Blossom Okonkwo said she witnessed the gruesome murder of some of the kidnap victims by the criminals who are believed to also be involved into human parts deal.

She disclosed that on the 9th of February 2022, she was travelling down to Enugu to see her parents and also visit her kids when she ran into the kidnappers in Lokoja.

According to her, “My husband had made arrangements with a driver to drive me down to Enugu because I couldn’t drive down myself. The plan was to start the trip by 5am the next day.

“On the said day the journey started smoothly as expected, I told the driver to make a stop in Lokoja so I could buy some fish and other things for my mum.

“We had driven almost 2 hrs after that stop over and I slept off in the car only to wake up to slight murmuring and I asked what the problem was and he said that they were some military men stopping cars to search. It didn’t sound like a big deal because we had encountered some military checkpoints before getting there.

“The next thing I heard were gunshots and passengers were being asked to get down from the car and lay on the floor, it was then Awal (driver) started shouting ‘kidnappers’. He tried to reverse and escape but the car behind us was too close.

“We were all asked to lay on the ground with our eyes all closed, I was terrified and was literally shaking at this, all I could do was to pray and beg God to spare my life. We were then asked to match into the bush, the kidnappers were about six of them all carrying guns and machetes, we were made to walk in a single line, we were all begging and crying, I remember them telling us to be calm that all will be fine, our phones were collected by them, we walked into the bush.

“It started getting dark, we were pushed and beaten to walk faster, we finally saw what seemed to be their hideout, there were more men and 2 Ladies waiting. Our abductors were hailed upon our arrival for bringing in ‘fresh meat’ using their own words.

All these while I had a million and other things going through my mind.

“We were all welcomed with beatings and slaps, the driver was hit in the head with the gun by one of the kidnappers. Our hands were tied to the front, they made the women sit in a different corner that night but very close that I could still hear their voice.”

She further revealed that the next morning they were lined up and were asked questions, questions “like where we work, how we earn and how much our family have to give them for our freedom. At that point we were still pleading for them to spare our lives and give us time to raise the money when one of them shouted at us to be quite and in the same tone of voice said ‘The ones that their family could raise 5 million naira for their ransom should join him by the left and others that couldn’t afford that to remain where they were standing’.

“I quickly went to the left, myself with one other lady and 2 men, I was trying to make eye contact with our driver to join us at the left side but he sort of insisted on staying were he was, after the rearrangement, the leader called two of her boys, he wasn’t calling them by their nickname, he yelled out BATO and whistled at the second guy to join him, when they came he pointed at two men and asked them to take their head off, it started up like a joke till they dragged the 2 men to the side pushed them on their knees and other came to join the held men and right there in front of us, they slit their throats right in front of us, I couldn’t believe it, this men pleaded, we all pleaded with them but they never paid any heed to us. The leader went up to us saying that this would be our fate if we don’t comply.

“I can still picture their faces in my head, how they pleaded, telling the guys that they are brothers.

“The rest of us were given a pen and paper to write out the contacts of people to be called for ransom, I wrote down my dad’s number that was the only number I had by heart. I had cried my eye out that day, same night 3 of those men raped me and the other lady, they took turns with me, one of the other guy hit me with his gun, they both slapped me several times while saying this to me in their language that I couldn’t understand. I heard the other lady screaming too pleading with them to leave her that she’s pregnant. All this while all I could mutter was for God to save me.

“The third day, we were all told that they have spoken to the people we wrote their number and if they didn’t provide what was asked for we will be killed one after the other, they dug a shallow grave next to the mud house and they drew the bodies of the two men killed in that previous day.

“My driver was dragged out of the corner where the men were, he was talking to them, I never understood what was going on but the other lady told me that the driver told them to kill him, that he was ready to die, that his family couldn’t afford such money. The driver was shot right there in front of us.

These people kill with no remorse like they have no feelings, regrets, they were just following orders with no questions asked, all I could think about at that point was my family, if I would see them again what would my fate be.

“The rest of us were told that our body part will be sold out for ritual purpose if our family didn’t comply, that same night the lady with whom I was tied up with was taken into the mud house, I could hear her scream and after sometime I couldn’t hear her again, I was gripped by fear, BATO dragged her body out later that night and threw her into the shallow grave.

“The leader left with one other man on his bike and told the others he will join them the next morning.

“All I could think of was a way to get out of there, I knew that their plans were to kill us even after collecting the ransom. So hoping that my parents would pay was totally out of the question, I couldn’t blink even a bit talk more sleeping, when everyone where seemed quite and the fire made from the woods were dying off I decided to run, it was dark and quite I managed to scoot over to a really dark place and after some time I decided to run.

“I ran as fast as I could not knowing where I was running to, I was weak, exhausted but in my mind I knew staying there an extra day could be my last. I ran but my leg couldn’t carry me and passed out. The next thing I remembered was being woken up by some locals ( later found out that there were hunters) that found me lying there.

I started begging again, pleading for my life until they explained who they were, one of them spoke Igbo to me and that they saw me lying on the ground and thought that I was lifeless till one of them noticed that I was moving and that’s how they woke me up and took me to a nearby village and was given a phone to contact my people, I called my dad and I was put in a keke and was directed to the police station to give a report on what happened.”

The Kogi State Police Command confirmed the incident.