Juliana Francis
 |
| IGP, Mohammed Adamu |
A kidnapped victim, who simply wished to
be addressed as Mr Kingsley, has narrated how suspected herdsmen abducted him
and his pregnant wife in Rivers State and then threatened to decapitate him if
his family members didn’t pay N20million as ransom.
According to Kingsley, the incident
happened on June 12, at a poultry farm in Igwuruta area of Ikwere Local Government
Area of Rivers State, where he went with his wife, to buy some crates of eggs.
The victim recollected that the three
kidnappers wore face masks and tied blanket around their heads.
He said that he had already given up
hope of ever seeing his family, when a miracle happened. Operatives of the
Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), a Unit
headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, trailed the
kidnappers into the bush and rescued him.
He was rescued after three days, which
noted were the most traumatic of his life.
The IRT operatives were able to arrest
one of the alleged kidnappers identified as Adamu Muhammad
Kingsley said: “I went to the poultry
farm with my wife. As soon as the security man opened the gate, three bandits
stormed the compound. While threatening to shoot, they ordered us to lie
faced-down. One of them searched us, took our phones and N200,000, which was
for the crates of eggs. They ordered us to follow them into the bush.”
He recalled that after some minutes
trekking, his pregnant weakened and repeatedly fell down. He begged them to
release the woman.
They grudgingly released her, but added
that it was because they wanted her to go and raise the ransom.
Kingsley narrated: “I trekked with them
for hours into the bush until we finally stopped. They didn’t contact my wife
for two good days and in those days, I was repeatedly beaten. They threatened
to behead me if my family didn’t pay the ransom. They also said they had
beheaded several people. They showed me guns and bullets, telling me not to
attempt an escape. They said all they wanted was money, but they would kill me
and still collect the ransom, if I misbehave.”
After two days, the kidnappers moved to
another camp, in order to access GSM network. They called his wife and asked
for N20m. Kingsley pleaded with them to reduce the ransom. They agreed and halved
it.
When Kingsley’s family members heard
about the staggering amount, they went to Igwuruta Police Station; from there
they were referred to IRT office.
Meanwhile, local vigilante members had
mobilised and searched the bush, but couldn’t find the victim or his captors.
“During those days, they didn’t offer me
food or water. I don't know how I survived in that forest. My wife told me that
as soon as she got in touch with IRT operatives, they followed her to the place
where she was to drop off the ransom. They moved into the forest and were able
to rescue me. How they did it, I do not know because I was too weak at that
point. My rescue came just when they were about to kill me. They told me that
police captured one of them who went to collect the ransom.”
A police source revealed: “The gang used
to lay ambush for unsuspecting victims who come to buy crates of eggs. When
they sighted Kingsley with his wife, they drove into the compound and grabbed
them. IRT was alerted to assist in the investigation. Initially, the wife
refused to cooperate with us because she was warned not to get police involved.
On the day they agreed for the drop off, a tracking team was deployed to follow her.
Information generated showed that they were somewhere in Umuechem area, in
Etche Local Government Area. When the kidnappers contacted her, they instructed
her to move down to Umuechem pipeline area and drop off the ransom. There were
people moving around in that area, but it was easy for our detectives to
confirm that the two men dressed like farmers, were those waiting to collect
the ransom. Immediately Adamu collected the money, one of our detectives,
grabbed him. Unfortunately the second suspect escaped.”
Adamu, 35, who is in Police custody,
explained that he relocated to Rivers State in 2018, where he trained as a
tailor. He disclosed that his friend, Musa, introduced him to kidnapping.
He said: “Two days before we abducted
the couple, Musa came with the information that there was a poultry farm at
Igwuruta, where rich people used to come to buy crates of eggs. On June 12, at
about 6am, we stayed close to the poultry and waited. Two hours later, we saw
the couple in a jeep. We kidnapped them and headed into the bush. The wife
started crying that she was pregnant. We took the money with them and released
the wife. We instructed her to go and find N10million if she ever wanted to see
her husband again. We contacted his wife on the third day. We negotiated, but
the wife insisted she could only raise N550,000. I and Musa were asked to go
and collect the money from her at an agreed venue. As soon as I collected the
money, someone grabbed me, while Musa escaped. We make use of pump action rifles
and the regular hunters’ rifles, and at the end of every operation, we bury the
guns inside the bush. I was only arrested because Allah permitted it. I’m not
worried.”
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