Ondo: Rescued victims recount ordeal in kidnappers’ den

Men of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, have rescued five abducted victims from the enclave of kidnappers along the Benin/Lagos highway in Odigbo and Akoko South West Local Government Areas of the state, without paying the N150 million ransom demanded.

The rescue was made possible after the victims’ families sought the help of Amotekun operatives, who successfully freed the victims after four days in captivity.

Sharing his traumatic experience, one of the victims, Ayo Adeyeye, described the ordeal as harrowing and said it would stay with him for the rest of his life.

According to him, they were subjected to harsh conditions, with no access to food or water, while the kidnappers continuously threatened to kill them if their ransom demands were not met.

He recounted that he was abducted while returning from his farm with his brother around 6:30 p.m. when four armed men stopped their motorcycle and took him into the bush.

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“I was returning home when they stopped us, but my brother ran away before I could stop the motorcycle. They dragged me with them, and we trekked through the night until the following morning.

“My brother, who escaped, informed our people, who searched the forests but could not find me. They then sought the help of Amotekun, who eventually rescued me along with three other victims.

“The kidnappers changed their route immediately after my brother escaped. They diverted to an opposite path to avoid being tracked, but Amotekun and my people were searching the initial location.

“Fortunately, the security men decided to search the opposite forest. When the kidnappers saw them, they fled the camp, and we were rescued without paying any ransom.

“We walked all day without food or water for four days. They camped us in a location while negotiating with our families, demanding N100 million, but I told them my family could not afford it.”

Also speaking, Emmanuel Adeniran, who was rescued in the Akoko area of the state, expressed his gratitude to the Amotekun Corps for saving them from untimely death.

He said the kidnappers threatened to kill them if ransom was not paid on time, but they were rescued by Amotekun operatives after the kidnappers fled.

Speaking on the rescue operation, the Commander of Amotekun in the state, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, said the five victims were rescued from two different locations across the state without paying any ransom.

He disclosed that four of the victims were kidnapped while returning from their farms along the Ore-Ijebu Ode/Lagos expressway, while another victim was rescued from the Ifon forest five days after being abducted from his Upemen residence on the Owo-Ikare road.

Adeleye said the armed kidnappers had demanded N150 million in ransom from the families of the five victims before Amotekun operatives foiled the operation.

He added that special Amotekun rangers have been deployed to major forests and strategic locations in the state to curb criminal activities.

He also revealed that over 12 cases of armed robbery and kidnapping had been foiled by Amotekun in the state, especially along the Ondo-Ogun state boundary.

Adeleye appealed to the people of the state to always provide timely security information to enable effective enforcement of the anti-open grazing law against defaulting herdsmen.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE