…Says, “Corpses littered forest.”
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
In a memory lane and, in true confession of real life story, a kidnapped victim has broking the silence and reluctantly opened up on her ugly personal experience, while in bandits’ captivity, advising that there are lots to be done on the strategies put in place to tame insecurity in Nigeria.
The over 50 years’ old female kidnapped victim, who spoke to our correspondent in confidence, expressed serious suspicion on circumstances surrounding their release by the bandits in a place not too far from a Military Camp after collecting their ransom running into multi-millions of naira.
Accordingly, she also expressed dismay that the bandits, despite the proximity of the military camp fired gunshots into the air before they were finally released into the expressway, without fear of any attacks from uniform men in a camp stationed close by.
According to the victim, even though the pains of kidnapped incident which occurred on their way inside Edo Line (transport vehicle), from Kaduna, some months ago has gone, the inhuman encounter in captivity could hardly be forgotten, even thought she rarely wants to talk about it with anyone.
Narrating the story, she explained that one or two passengers were instantly fired with gunshot and died immediately the heavily-armed bandits waylaid them in a place not too far away from their destination.
She said, while all other passengers – including herself and the driver, on front seat – were taken through the bushes barefooted through the night, her bag containing phone, money and jewelries, which fringed from her hand because of shock, was in the hand of the bandits without her knowing on arrival in the deep forest.
It was a hell on earth on the day the bandit groups that took undue advantage of the only young lady in their midst, always demanding for sex from her on minute-by-minute, on daily basis.
“The stylishly jumped up miniskirt fashion sexy looking lady,” according to the woman victim; “was gang rapped for days unprotected without break by bandits, who later resorted in flogging her when she refused for more sex because of tiredness and lack of strength to continue with them.”
In the same way also, in a horrible manner, other abductees, who could not get any person(s) to negotiate their ransom properly, were also thoroughly flogged on daily basis, and threatened with killing in an obscured environment they were kept, in a forest close to Niger State.
Most horrible and scary experience, according to her, was where they were stationed and sleeping on a bare floor in an open rocky area, in the sight of numbers of dried and fresh corpses of dead bodies of previously-abducted victims, lying facing ground.
She also explained that all passengers’ phones were collected from their hands, SIM Cards removed and destroyed the handsets before taken off into the bush, exception of her own inside bag and few other influential ones, preserved – perhaps for calling for ransom negotiations.
“Before the incident happened, I’ve already called home on my way, informing my father that we are close and should be expecting me before I go to my husband’s place later. That’s to tell you we were not too far from Edo State.
“So, when put my SIM back and my father later called back, they gave me my phone and I answered that I’ve been kidnapped. They were so shocked, because they tried several times before they eventually got me, owning to my SIM card that was removed from my phone, too,” she said.
She also stated that, after series of negotiations and her ransom later delivered, alongside few others, they were taken off to a place near the road, with strict warning that they will be killed, if any of them is discovered to have them set up on through those who deliver the ransoms.
Finally, they were set free, shown the way and direction to stand and get vehicles going to their various places, and they left them.