A survivor of the abduction of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps in Imo State has recounted how their captors allegedly beat them with guns and fists, restricted their communication with their families and fed them garri with dirty water while they were held in a forest.
The survivor, who spoke to BBC Pidgin in an interview which was published on Monday, said the abductees were allowed to call their families but faced punishment if their conversations displeased their captors.
“We were given phone to call our families. And if any family say anything wey dem no wan hear, or any rubbish wey go fit make dem angry, we will be beaten. That person will be beaten, use the gun to hit the person,” the survivor said.
The survivor added that the male victims were mostly subjected to physical assault, while their captors appeared somewhat reluctant to beat the women.
“Sometimes dem go use dia hand to punch dem, mostly the guys. Dem still dey fear small to beat woman,” the survivor said.
The 20 prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The attack occurred around 6.30am along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, when gunmen attacked two buses conveying the travellers.
The kidnappers reportedly demanded N50m for each captive before the amount was later reduced.
As the search continued, the police said operatives had located the kidnappers’ hideout through drone surveillance but faced difficulties accessing the area because of suspected improvised explosive devices planted around the camp.
Security agencies subsequently intensified their search-and-rescue operation, deploying additional personnel and equipment.
The victims were eventually rescued on October 7, seven days after the abduction, in a joint operation involving security agencies. They were taken for medical examination and treatment following their release.
Recounting how the journey began, the survivor said the group departed at about 9am and made several stops before reaching Onitsha, where their driver told them they would spend the night.
The survivor said the passengers had earlier asked the driver to continue the journey when they reached Ore to avoid delays.
According to the account, the driver explained that they needed to rest in Onitsha because the next leg of the journey could be dangerous.
The survivor said they informed their families about their overnight stop and went to sleep, only to wake up to find themselves in captivity.
“When I wake up, that na when the incident happen,” the survivor said.
The victim said they were taken to a forest where they were held for some time before being moved deeper into an unfamiliar forest.
“I bin no know how we take reach the forest where dem keep us for sometime, before we continue our journey to a deep-deep-deep forest that I don’t know how,” the survivor recounted.
Describing their conditions, the survivor said their captors provided them with dry garri and dirty water, which they had to consume to survive.
“What we are eating there is just garri, like eba garri, dry garri with mud water, very dirty water that, hmm, I can’t even fit give my enemy that water, but we bin no get choice, we gatz take am for survival,” the survivor said.
The ordeal, the survivor added, left them shocked and unable to process what was happening.
“I can’t express how I feel because I bin no fit cry, I just dey look and I was lost. I don’t know what to do, e bin look like movie, I bin no believe say that kain tin happen to me,” the survivor said.
The victim credited the Department of State Services with rescuing the abductees, saying, “The government, na di DSS rescue us.”
PUNCH had earlier reported that the police confirmed the rescue of the 20 prospective corps members in Imo State, while a search for the kidnappers continued.
In a separate report, PUNCH reported that the freed graduates were offered postings in the South-West.