Forty-six people kidnapped in the Nasarawa local government area of Nasarawa state have regained their freedom after four days in captivity.
Suleiman Ibrahim Eya, one of the victims said: “We were traveling towards Nasarawa when we saw some cars ahead of us and we heard three gunshots which made us stop.
”Ten armed men all branding AK47 rifles with three of them in military outfit took 48 of us, they later shot two of us who were Fulani like them.”
According to him, they trekked for three hours before they were allowed to rest near a hill and continued trekking the following day before the kidnappers made calls demanding for ransom.
Suleiman Ibrahim Eya told Daily Trust that the kidnappers beat one man to coma when they saw him with a bayonet; he later confessed that he was not a vigilante but a security agent.
The victim said in a low voice, “My father sold his land at a give-away price and raised part of the ransom, while my wife and relations contributed the amount that made up one million nairas.
We spent four days wandering in the wilderness before our release. Some raised between half a million and below to secure their release.
While a young man from Borno and another from Mada ethnic group in Nasarawa who said they don’t have anybody to contact for ransom were severely beaten.”
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He said the worst case was that of a young man from hospital whose fresh medical operation tore and they kept carrying him on their back all the days they were in captivity.
He said they were fed one handful of boiled rice with palm oil as daily ration, but on the day of their release, they were given roasted yam.
Similarly one of the young girls who regained her freedom, Hauwa Abubakar Kana said, “I don’t want to talk about the horrible experience.”
The Chairman of Nasarawa Local Government Areas, Muhammad Sani Otto confirmed the incident and called on kidnappers and criminals to repent before they would be arrested and prosecuted.
He also called on relations of abducted people to liaise with the authorities and delay payment to avoid the continuation of kidnappings.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations officer ASP Ramhan Nansel did not reply to the SMS sent to him at the time of filing this report.
