SOME travellers abducted on Emure-ile Road in Emure Local Government Area of Ekiti State have regained their freedom from the kidnappers’ den.
The victims, who were traveling in an 18-seater bus, were abducted on Sunday night by gunmen while returning from Onitsha in Anambra State to Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
The gunmen reportedly contacted the families of the victims, demanding N30 million per person for their release.
However, the victims were released in the early hours of Wednesday morning after paying ransoms ranging from N1 million to N2 million to the kidnappers.
Narrating his ordeal, the driver of the bus, Mr. Sunday Emmanuel, recounted that the incident occurred very close to Emure-Ekiti shortly after they left Eporo-Ekiti.
He revealed that he was released in the early hours of Christmas Day following a ransom payment of N1.5 million, while other passengers reportedly paid ransoms ranging from N1 million to N2 million.
Emmanuel stated that they were fed only Garri mixed with red oil and water for several days by three heavily armed bandits, who appeared to be familiar with the local area.
He stated that they were not subjected to torture, aside from the bruises sustained while being herded through the bush.
Emmanuel confirmed that all the passengers, including a woman and a female corps member, had also regained their freedom.
He said, “They left us in Ago Paanu in Owo area, Ikare Road. We don’t actually know the name of the place, it was the people that lived there that came out to talk to us.
“We trekked the bush from Emure. We trekked through the nights and once it was 5 am, we would stop to take a nap.
“There were two women among us including a female corps member but they were not touched.
“The kidnappers told us they came from Niger Republic. They know all those bushes because we were passing through where cattle are usually herded.
“They are just three men but the machine guns in their hands can’t be dared. They told us that we can only get those weapons from soldiers alone and they have massive extra bullets.
“They don’t eat with us but what we discovered is that one of them would go out to get something. They usually mixed Garri with red oil and we would eat it.
“They took N1.5m from me. Some paid N1m, N2m, 1.45m. They did not harm anybody among us except some bruises we sustained while passing through the bush.
“They kidnapped us in Emure-Ekiti. We had left Eporo, we were about to enter Emure-Ekiti town when the incident occurred.
“It was after five minutes after we left the checkpoint that it happened. Even soldiers at the roadblock not far from where we were kidnapped cannot deny that they didn’t hear the gunshots”, he narrated.