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■ Victims, families tell harrowing stories in captivity
■ Police, others identify hot spots to avoid
■ States move to check menace
From Timothy Olanrewaju (Maiduguri), Noah Ebije (Kaduna), George Onyejiuwa (Owerri), Sylvanus Viashima (Jalingo), Okey Sampson (Umuahia), Scholastica Onyeka (Makurdi), Abdulrazaq Mungadi (Gombe), Tony John (Port Harcourt), Abel Leonard (Lafia), Layi Olanrewaju (Ilorin), Geoffrey Anyanwu (Enugu), Oluseye Ojo (Ibadan), and Paul Osuyi (Asaba)
IN almost all the 36 states of the
federation and the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja, residents can hardly
sleep with their two eyes closed.
They live in apprehension, fear of the
unknown – the fear of kidnappers.
Many have been abducted and huge
ransom paid to secure their freedom
while the unlucky ones had died in
captivity. In this special report, we
bring to you the situation reports
from volatile states, where kidnap-
ping for ransom has assumed the
proportion of a thriving trade, the
experience of victims, their relations
and what the state governments and
security agencies are doing to arrest
the ugly situation.
KADUNA
The life of 19-year-old Zakaria
Iliya, a native of Ungwan Gora in
Chikun Local Government Area,
Kaduna State, has taken a turn for
the worse. Reason: a bloodthirsty
bandit, in a callous and sadistic show
of brutality, chopped off one of his
hands after he was kidnapped in his
community. Zakaria is struggling to
adjust to living with one arm.
Recalling the nightmare he expe-
rienced in the hands of the bandits
who stormed his community and
kidnapped him along with five other
villagers, Zakaria told Sunday Sun:
“On the fateful day, while we were
in the kidnappers’ den, they asked
us to go and fetch water. When we
came back, I went to defecate. While
I was there, I saw one of the bandits
running towards me with a long
sharp machete. He chopped off my
arm because he thought I wanted to
escape.”I saw hell. Blood was gush-
ing out and nobody helped me. In-
stead, the bandits continued beating
me mercilessly. They did not show
any remorse or sympathy despite my
condition.”My parents paid N1 mil-
lion ransom before I was released.
They had to struggle to pay the mon-
ey before they secured my release.
Since I came back, my parents have
spent N200,000 for my treatment
in one of the hospitals in Kajuru
town.”Zakaria is just one of hundreds
of other victims of the intensified
onslaught of terrorists in the vari-
ous parts of Kaduna State in recent
times. In the face of the resurgence
of kidnapping, maiming and other
atrocities committed by the bandits,
citizens appear helpless. With every
fresh horrendous attack by the ban-
dits, the government issues more statements reassuring the people that
the security agencies would contain
the situation which is worsening
by the day.All the three senatorial
zones of the state are witnessing the
upsurge of banditry, kidnapping and
terrorism in recent times. The most
dangerous hotspots of kidnapping
include Birnin Gwari road, Kaduna-
Kafanchan road, Abuja-Kaduna road
and Kaduna-Zaria roads, which run
through farming communities. For
this reason, bandits have been having a field day, abducting both farmers
and travellers.In the North senato-
rial zone, bandits killed four persons
and injured four others at Uguwan
Dankali in Zaria Local Government
Area of Kaduna State. The Police
Command in the state through its
spokesman, ASP Mansir Hassan,
said they have been making efforts
to tackle the bandits. In one particu-
lar incident, men of the police were
able to rescue five hostages after a
gun duel with the bandits who abandoned the victims and escaped.In
Southern Kaduna senatorial zone,
Stephen Naman Ngofe, a seminar- ian was killed early in September
and his body burnt beyond recogni-
tion, when bandits attacked and set
ablaze the Catholic Parish House,
Fadan Kamanton, in Zango Kataf
Local Government Area of the state,
which had two occupants, the Par-
ish Priest, Emmanuel Okolo, and
the Assistant Parish Priest, Monday
Noah. The Chairman, Zango Kataf LGA, Francis Sani, in a chat with
Sunday Sun described the killing
of the seminarian as “shocking and
beyond words.”Also for seven ab-
ducted victims rescued by the Nige-
rian Air Force (NAF) Special Forces
on a night patrol near Birnin Gwari
axis of the state, freedom could not
be sweeter. The victims, comprising
six females and a male, revealed that
they were kidnapped in Paikoro Lo- cal Government Area of Niger State
while the lone male victim stated
that he was picked up in Rijau LGA
in the same Niger State.The NAF di-
rector, Public Relations and Informa-
tion, Air Cdre Edward Gabkwet, said
the kidnappers on sighting the troops
abandoned their victims and fled into
a nearby forest.Meanwhile, the Chief
of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan
Abubakar, has assured that security
agents are determined to ensure that
all areas within Kaduna State and en-
virons are free of terrorists, kidnap-
pers and other criminal elements.To
aid intelligence gathering in commu-
nities and improve security, the Ka-
duna State governor, Uba Sani, has
said that his administration decided
to recruit 7,000 personnel into the
state Vigilante Service (KADVS).
The recruits would be drawn from
all the local government areas of the
state, he said.
BORNO
Unlike most states in the North,
kidnapping has been substantially
low in Borno and Yobe states in the
Northeast part of the country, going
by the statistics collated by Sunday
Sun.Mass abduction of people by
violent groups took a new turn in Ni-
geria on April 14, 2014, when Borno
recorded the first mass abduction of
276 female students from the Government Girls Secondary School,
Chibok by Boko Haram insur-
gents. The incident attracted national
and global outrage, leading to sev-
eral protests by human rights groups,
demands by international figures,
including the then United State First
Lady, Michelle Obama and Malala
Yousafzai, a Pakistani female edu- cation activist.But before then, there
were reported, but uncelebrated
kidnap incidents in parts of Borno
especially in 2013 and early 2014.
At least six students were ambushed
and abducted by Boko Haram along
Bama road in Konduga Local Gov-
ernment in the central part of Borno,
while returning to their towns after
their school was shut down mid-
way into the session due to security
threats on education institutions then.
There had been other cases, includ-
ing the incident where 12 people go-
ing for a burial rite in a town in the
same southern part of the state were
abducted.Emboldened by the seem-
ing success of the earlier abductions,
a Boko Haram splinter group, the
Islamic State in West African Prov- ince (ISWAP) stormed the Govern-
ment Girls Science and Technical
College at Dapchi, a serene town
in Yobe State, some 262 kilometres
away from Chibok and kidnapped
110 girls on February 19, 2018. The
ages of the girls ranged between 11
and 19 years. Since then, insurgents,
terrorists and bandits have adopted
kidnapping as part of their violent
activities.Former Army spokes-
man, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, said
kidnapping for ransom has become
“a source of financing the crimi-
nality of criminal elements.”While
kidnapping has escalated in most
parts of the country, the situation
appears to have decreased particularly in Borno. Many believe the
intensity of military operation and
presence of troops substantially
forced down such criminality.”For
one, both Boko Haram and ISWAP
have been engaged in kidnapping
almost frequently, but thank God the
frequency has reduced due to divine
intervention and the military opera-
tion,” Abubakar Ahmed, a resident
and retired security personnel, said.
Ibrahim Mshelizza, a journalist, who
has been studying insurgency in the
Northeast, also expressed similar
view. He said that people have also
become more conscious of their
security unlike in the past when ci-
vilians took personal security for
granted.Aside this, the approach of
the governor in addressing the secu-
rity challenge also helped in curtail-
ing the situation.Governor Babagana
Zulum, he said, had put pressure on
the military to step up its presence on
major roads in the state, the month
after he assumed office in 2019. He
also increased support for the Civil- ian Joint Task Force, which has been
collaborating with the military troops
on the fight against terrorism and in-
surgency in the state. Zulum had an-
nounced scholarship to children of
slain CJTF operatives who died dur-
ing operations to boost the morale of
those still fighting.Aside this, he reg-
ularly visited local communities and
sometimes hard-to-reach areas with
food items and money, and there-
after encouraged them to collabo-
rate with the military by providing
credible information.”All these, are
helping us in Borno to come out of
the security challenge,” Alhaji Saleh
Ibrahim, a retired civil servant and
septuagenarian, said.
IMO
Imo, Governor Hope Uzodim-
ma’s state, which promotes itself
as the Eastern Heartland, the resur- gence of kidnapping has added to the
headache of security agencies that
are daily battling with rampaging
gunmen and other criminal elements
bent on making the state ungovern-
able. No less than 12 people have
been abducted in the last six months.
The most recent incident was the ab- duction of Major-General Richard
Duru (rtd) who was waylaid by gun-
men in Orji community in Owerri
North Council Area of the state last
month on September 30. At the time
of filing this report, his whereabouts
has remained unknown.Back in July,
gunmen abducted Mr Johnny Ugor-
ji, the owner of the popular Johnny
Supermarket and Pharmacy located
in Ikenegbu, in the heart of the state
capital. Similarly, two Catholic
priests of the Okigwe Diocese, Rev.
Fr. Maduka Jude and Mathias Opara,
were kidnapped. Also, the traditional
ruler of Orsu Obodo in Oguta Coun-
cil Area and his traditional Prime
Minister, were kidnapped and later
killed by the gunmen who abducted
them.In January, the Chairman of
Ideato North Council, Chief Chris
Orizu, was gruesomely beheaded by
gunmen who had earlier abducted
him in his community. In the same
vein, four siblings of the same par-
ents were also kidnapped in Amako
community in Njaba and have not been seen till date.The situation
in the state is such that nowhere is
safe. As a result of this most of the
prominent citizens of the state have
either relocated to Abuja, the federal
capital, or Lagos to avoid falling vic-
tims. Those who come to the state for
social functions move with a retinue
of heavily armed security agents, in- cluding military personnel while in
the state. Even prominent traditional
rulers are now escorted by armed po-
licemen following the kidnapping of
the Orsu Obodo monarch who was
killed by his captors and his corpse
set ablaze.The ugly state of affairs
has equally forced most senior gov-
ernment appointees of the current
administration to stay put in Owerri,
the state capital. Not even council
chairmen live in their communities;
they all have fled and abandoned
their council headquarters.However,
in a bid to tackle the menace of inse-
curity in the state, the government es-
tablished the Ebubeagu to assist the
security agencies in the state . The
governor also urged communities to
form vigilante groups to secure their
communities from the maurading
bandits.But Mr Anayo Ugochukwu,
former commander of the defunct
Imo Security Network, established
during the administration of former
Governor Rochas Okorocha, said
that the current situation could have
been better managed if the current
administration did not scrap the Imo
Security Network and Imo Commu-
nity Watch which he said were able
to minimise the incidence of banditry
and kidnapping in the communities
as operatives of the two security
outfits worked hard in their various
communities.The spokesman of the
Imo State Police Command, ASP
Henry Okoye, maintained that under
the leadership of the Commissioner
of Police, CP Mohammed Barde, the
command has continued to ensure
the safety of the Imo people.
RIVERS
With his proactive steps and bun- dle of energy, former Rivers State
and incumbent Minister of the Fed-
eral Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike,
was able to drastically reduce kid-
napping in the state.Throughout his
tenure that lasted eight years, Wike
provided adequate logistics, par- ticularly operational equipment for
security agencies to combat crime
and other social vices.Though there
have been few kidnap cases, Rivers
State since then has been reasonably
calm.Indeed, the Commissioner of
Police, CP Emeka Nwonyi, has kept
to his mandate to nip crime in the
bud, which has truly yielded positive
results.Rivers State could be given a
thumb-up for having good intra-state
road network. The good condition
of the roads, has made kidnapping
difficult to be successfully executed.
However, Igbo-Etche in Etche Local
Government Area, Oyigbo LGA and
Eleme LGA, are some areas where
kidnap operations take place eas-
ily. Some roads in these areas are
too difficult to access during rainy
season. Hence, they portend dan- ger to the road users.Other hotspots
prone to crime are Emohua, Ahoada
and Eleme sections of the East-West road, as well as the Port Harcourt-
Owerri road. In the past, there had
been repeated cases of commercial
buses being hijacked by armed men.
In the opinion of Port Harcourt-
based security expert, Mr Jackson
Ojo, cash restriction policy of the
the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
has not really deterred kidnapping
as the criminal elements are still able
collect ransom.He said that kidnap-
ping is an organised crime involv-
ing some security personnel. “There
are some persons either in the mili-
tary, paramilitary or police that are
collaborating with the kidnappers.
There are some persons among the
security agencies that have sympathy
for kidnappers.”Among the telecom- munication agencies, some also lack
the will power to track them because
they get threats from the kidnap-
pers. At the end of the day, the police
would tell you that they cannot track
them. What I am saying is that there
are lots of people that are with these
boys. With such individuals, ransom
collection or withdrawal will be easy.
Many among the rank and file of se-
curity agencies are bad eggs. They
aid and shield these boys in their evil
operations,” he said.
TARABA
It is for good reasons that Taraba
State is known as nature’s gift to Ni-
geria. But marauding, dangerously
armed bandits are coating the beau-
tifully endowed state with the tar of
criminality. The state has recently
witnessed a drastic rise in cases of
kidnapping for ransom.Spokesman
of the Police Command in the state,
SP Abdullahi Usman, acknowledged
that “there has been a disturbing rise
in the incidents of kidnapping across
the state. This is, however, more
prevalent around parts of Jalingo, the
state capital, such as Mayo-Dassa,
Mile Six and others. We also have
disturbing levels of cases in parts of
Lau and Ardo Kola local govern-
ment areas. There were recent cases
in Alingora and Garin Jauro in Ardo
Kola and Lau local government are-
as respectively.”In response, the state
government has set up a special anti-
kidnapping squad that parades Jalin- go metropolis especially throughout
the night. So far, there has been some
level of sanity, but the issue is still far
from over. For many analysts, Tara-
ba State is literally under siege. The
activities of the hoodlums in other
parts of the state such as Gassol, Bali,
Gashaka and others are also of great
concern.To curtail this, the Police
Command has established opera-
tional outfits across the state manned
by the security taskforce, comprising
the anti-kidnapping squad, other sis- ter agencies and local hunters.”We
have recorded remarkable successes
so far, but there is still much to be
done. Last month, we arrested about
20 kidnappers,” Usman said.One
of the kidnapped victims who re-
quested not to be identified in print
recounted his ordeal: “I went to the
farm with my wife. We were work-
ing on my groundnuts farm when
they came into the farm with arms
and started beating me. They beat
me thoroughly and went away with my wife. Now, I am still searching
for money to pay them so that they
will release my wife to me. I am only
a poor farmer. Where do they expect
me to get money for ransom?”
ABIA
In Abia State, kidnapping for ran-
som took the downward trend from
the middle of January when the Cen- tral Bank of Nigeria (CBN), began
the implementation of its currency
redesign policy.During this period
when cash in circulation was limited,
kidnapping virtually stopped in Abia
as there was no cash to pay ransom.
The cashless policy greatly whittled
down the rate of kidnapping in Abia
moreso when ransom could not be
paid, for security reasons, through
bank transfers. However, after the
cashless policy ended, kidnapping
activities resumed in the state, with
no week passing without reported
cases of kidnapping.Despite CBN
policies restricting the amount cus-
tomers can withdraw, relations of
kidnapped victims still manage to
raise money to pay for the freedom
of their abducted loved ones.Inves-
tigation revealed, however, that kid-
nappers are no longer on the high
side when demanding for ransom,
as they now ask for ransom in thou-
sands rather than millions.To stem
the tide of kidnapping in the state, the
state government recently launched
Operation Crush, a joint security
outfit comprising personnel from the
various security agencies. Since the
launching of the security outfit, kid-
napping has drastically been reduced
in the state.The state government
went further to clear the median and
sideways of the Abia section of the
Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway of
bushes.This precautionary security
measure, did not end at the express-
way, but it was also extended to roads
in Umunneochi and Isuikwuato local
government areas, which are kidnap- ping hotspots.Some security agents
along the Okigwe/Uturu axis, admit-
ted that their presence has drastically
reduced kidnapping in the area and
restored confidence in the natives
and commuters using the road.
BENUE
Benue State has become a hotbed
of kidnapping, leaving the residents
with great concern for their safety.
No one is spared, irrespective of sta-
tus, in the unprecedented rise in cases
of kidnapping.In the heat of the cash
crunch, gunmen attacked a church
in Akenawe, Tswarev in Ukember-
agya/Tswarev council ward of Logo
Local Government Area of Benue
State and kidnapped four members
of the community.The kidnappers,
after demanding an initial ransom
of N4 million, were told that their
victims were farmers and had no
such money. But they kept haggling
about the amount which went down
from N4 million to N2 million, to
N400,000 and to N200,000. They
finally released the victims, four
days later, after collecting the sum
of N101,000 along with the phone
of the negotiator taken from him at
the point of payment.Also, on May
13, 2023, a medical doctor with the
Federal Medical Center, Makurdi,
Dr Etito Obadiah, was kidnapped by
gunmen at Judges Quarters area of
Makurdi and taken to Ukum LGA.
Days later, the medical doctor was
rescued with nine other victims who
were earlier kidnapped.Again on July
23, 2023, another medical doctor, Dr
Asema Msuega, while on his way to
supervise a malaria programme at a
primary health care centre in Ukum
LGA was abducted. He was, how-
ever, released after spending 33 days
in captivity.On September 18, 2023,
kidnappers hijacked a bus belonging
to Benue Links, and abducted 11 passengers including a staff of the
Nigerian Television Authority, be-
tween Otukpa and Ugbokolo in Ok-
pokwu LGA of the state.This came
barely a week after gunmen hijacked
two fully loaded buses belonging to
Benue Links, from Makurdi to La-
gos and kidnapped 10 passengers
along Okene road.Similarly, the state
Commissioner for Information, Cul-
ture and Tourism, Hon. Mathew Abo
and a former Chairman of Ukum
LGA, Iorwashima Erukaa, were
also kidnapped. While Abo was
kidnapped on September 24 and re-
leased 10 days later, Mr Erukaa who
was abducted a day before is still in
the custody of his abductors as at
the time of filing this report.Sunday
Sun also gathered that one Ortim Ior-
hemba, a nephew of the state SUB-
EB chairman, was also kidnapped
from Tse Digenyi in Mbaterem in
Ukum LGA of the state on Sunday,
October 8, 2023. As at the time of
filing this report on Monday Octo-
ber 9, nothing had been heard from
Ortim or his kidnappers.Speaking
on the worrisome trends, the state
Chairman of Nigerian Medical As-
sociation, (NMA), Dr Ushakuma
Anenge, described the situation as
“alarming” and noted that Ukum
LGA has become notorious for kid-
napping, though sporadic incidents
of kidnapping happens across the
state. “We need government to give
it a very serious thought and put to-
gether measures that will eliminate
this situation,” he pleaded.The Police
Public Relations Officer (PPRO),
SP Catherine Anene, told our cor-
respondent that between the month
of July and September 14, suspects
were arrested for kidnapping while
seven victims were rescued.Because
most of the rescued victims were
so traumatised by the ordeals they
went through, they refused to talk
about what they passed through in
captivity, probably not wanting to
be reminded of the unpalatable ex-
perience.However, when one of the
medical doctors, Dr Etito Obadiah,
was released, he told newsmen at
the Benue Police Command that he
went through the most harrowing ex-
perience. According to him, he was
tortured and beaten with all manner
of weapons, including slamming
their AK47 guns on his head. “The
beating was so much that I couldn’t
feel my legs any more. I saw other
people that were also kidnapped and kept there, including women. After
all the beating, I was almost giving
up hope of being rescued. They were
almost killing us,” he said in tears.
GOMBE
The incidence of kidnapping and
banditry is minimal in Gombe with
very few cases recorded.Notwith- standing this, the government has
activated the state’s security com-
mittees with dedicated telephone
lines for residents to report security
breaches and potential threats. The
move by the state government is in
response to the escalating activities
of bandits across the northern part
of the country.Director-General of
Press Affairs, Government House,
Gombe, Ismaila Uba Misilli, said
that the initiative is part of a proac-
tive effort by the government to curb
crime and enhance the security situ-
ation in the state. Misilli explained
that the government’s decision to
set up security committees in vari- ous locations across the state is to
create a framework for residents to
report any security breaches or po-
tential threats around them.Gombe
is the first state government to estab-
lish the Ministry of Internal Security
and Ethical Orientation.”This move
was aimed at creating an institu-
tional framework at the state level
to support Federal Government se-
curity agencies while also providing
a proactive mechanism for conflict
resolution. “To further enhance se- curity and crime prevention, several
additional measures have been put
in place. These include the introduc- tion of new mechanisms for informal
intelligence gathering, the establish-
ment of the Citizenship and Leader-
ship Training Centre for youth train-
ing in informal intelligence gathering
and early warning indicators, and
increased involvement of traditional
authorities in dispute resolution and
security management at the commu-
nity level,” Misilli said.The victims
kidnapped by bandits at Shabewa
community of Dukku Local Gov-
ernment Area must be eagerly pray-
ing that help would come their way
and they be rescued.
NASARAWA
The people of Nasarawa State are
gripped by fear of being kidnapped
as the threat is real in the state. The
once tranquil nights are now filled
with dread, and the journey home from work has become a peril-
ous endeavour for many.A Federal
Government member of staff, who
recently escaped the clutches of kid-
nappers, shared a harrowing tale. He
recounted the terrifying moments
when he was abducted a few months
ago in Lafia and transported to a
sprawling forest around Nasarawa
Eggon. Blindfolded and disoriented,
he found himself deep within the
confines of the forest. The ransom
demanded for his release was a
staggering sum of over N2 million.
Nowadays in the state, university
and polytechnic students are also
routinely kidnapped. For instance,
at Nasarawa State Polytechnic, now
IMAP Polytechnic, a student was
kidnapped while three others were
injured. A ransom of N300,000 was
paid for her release. Recently, also
four students of Nasarawa State Uni-
versity were kidnapped in Angwan
Kare, near the Benue Cement Com-
pany (BCG).The criminal hideouts
are typically situated in the dense
forests around Nasarawa Eggon
Local Government Area, which ex-
tend across the Nasarawa North and
South regions. To the West, the no-
torious Toto forest near Toto Local
Government Area is a favoured loca-
tion for the kidnappers.
KWARA
Kwara State, nestled in the North-
Central region of Nigeria, has histori-
cally been synonymous with peace
and tranquillity. However, recent
events have seen a drastic transfor- mation as insecurity has taken root,
with kidnappings becoming the new
scourge.Kidnapping has emerged
as a grave concern in the state, with
criminal groups wreaking havoc on
the lives of its residents. The per-
petrators typically target victims
for ransom, plunging families into
agony and uncertainty.Sunday Sun
discovered that a significant portion
of the kidnappers plaguing Kwara
State were pushed out of the neigh-
bouring Southwest states by the
Western Nigeria Security Network
(WNSN) known as Amotekun. With
the Southwest no longer a haven for
their criminal activities, these groups
sought refuge in Kwara State, where
they found an environment condu-
cive to their illicit trade.However,
in the face of the current security
challenges facing the country, the
commitment and proactiveness of the Governor AbdulRahman Ab-
dulRazaq administration to combat
security challenges is mainly respon-
sible for the relative peace and safety
that has been recorded in the state.
Sunday Sun investigations revealed
that the roads preferred by kidnappers
are mostly federal roads such as Ilor-
in-Egbe in Kogi State, especially the
bad portions towards Osi and Eruku
in Ekiti Local Government Area of
the state.These are apart from lonely
rural roads like Ora in Obo Ile, Oke
Onigbin, Isanku Isin, Ijara Iwo roads
in Isin Local Government Area of
the state. But recently they attacked
communities in the rural areas of the
state such as Agunjin, Oro Ago and
some other vulnerable communities
in Ifelodun Local Government Area.
However in Kwara Central places
like Alalubosa, Alapa, Ganmo-Afon
roads and so many others have taken
a fair share too.Despite CBN restric-
tion on people withdrawing large
amounts of cash, kidnappers still de-
mand millions of naira as ransom in
both naira and foreign currencies, in
addition to asking for three new Ba-
jaj motorcycles, foodstuff, cigarettes,
drugs, among others from their vic-
tims’ relatives. Mr Matthew Akanbi,
a security expert, told Sunday Sun:
“If we had more advance weapons, it
might have been easier to apprehend
them. Our local guns aren’t as potent
as the firearms used by the kidnap-
pers. We urgently need surveillance
drones to track their movements and
telescopes to locate them before they
spot us. Walkie-talkies would also be
invaluable; as of now, I depend on
my personal phone network, which
can be unreliable.”Akanbi empha-
sized that the local hunters have re-
mained dedicated to the security of
the community, particularly in the
Isin Local Government Area.How-
ever, he stressed the urgent need for
government support in the form of
weapons, ammunition, motorcycles,
vehicles, and stipends.Akanbi also
noted the positive impact that the
community had experienced with
the limited resources they used to
purchase motorcycles and phones
for the hunters, saying that they have
played crucial role in securing the
community and responding to emer-
gencies when needed.Mr Abdul-
Razaq Agbayi, the state commandant
for Focus Security in Kwara State, shed light on the daily challenges his
team encounters while confronting
criminals in remote areas thus: “We
earnestly call upon the state govern-
ment to mobilize and equip our per-
sonnel with advanced weaponry that
can match the sophistication of the
weapons carried by these criminals.
This is crucial in our efforts to effec-
tively combat insecurity in the state,
as the weapons at our disposal are
currently outmatched by those used
by the criminal elements.”Mr Salihu
Murtala, the commandant of Focus
Security for Moro Local Govern-
ment in Kwara State, was part of the
team that successfully rescued Mr
Sikiru Kola and Philemon Jiya, who
were kidnapped from Sikiru’s resi-
dence in Jebba. “When we arrived at
the victim’s house, we observed bul-
let traces on the walls and inquired
about the direction the kidnappers
had taken. We later located and res-
cued one of the victims in the vicinity
of Basite, and he provided informa-
tion about the whereabouts of his
boss,” he said.Mr Murtala men-
tioned that they were able to track
SK’s communication lines, which
enabled them to pinpoint the victims’
location, ultimately leading to the
rescue of one of the victims and ap-
prehending three of the kidnappers.
Ajayi emphasized that Kwara
shares borders with neighbouring
states like Kogi, Ekiti, and Osun, and
features expansive forests that extend
from Ifelodun to Zamfara and Kebbi
states.These geographical factors fa-
cilitate the movement of kidnappers
across state lines,” he said.
Ajayi highlighted that their in-
vestigations have revealed instances
of collaboration between some local
community members and criminals,
who work together to carry out acts
of terror and kidnapping, often tak- ing victims into remote areas, which
pose significant challenges for law
enforcement agents.To combat this,
he said that the police command
has been collaborating with various
stakeholders, including local vigi-
lante groups and experienced hunt-
ers who possess intimate knowledge
of the terrain.Ajayi stressed that the
complete eradication of crime is a
challenging goal, especially when
the police are operating with limited
resources and equipment.He noted
that the law enforcement officers are
doing their best with the available
resources to combat criminality.He
acknowledged the efforts made by
both the state and Federal Govern-
ments, as well as the contributions of
the local community, in supporting
the police force.
However, he emphasized that
there is a significant need for ad-
ditional logistics to enhance their
ability to carry out their duties effec-
tively. One of the pressing issues, he
pointed out, was the need for more
police personnel.
Sikiru Kola upon regaining free-
dom gave a chilling account of his
ordeal, detailing how he was kid-
napped on a Sunday and held captive
until Tuesday. During his captivity,
he and his companion were subject-
ed to inhumane treatment, including
lack of food and communication.
“They did not offer me anything
to eat, and they all communicated
in the Fulani language,” Sikiru re-
counted.
When the kidnappers initially
abducted them, they inquired about
Sikiru’s identity. Sikiru and his com- panion initially tried to mislead them
by claiming that Sikiru was in Ilorin
and not present at the scene.
However, the kidnappers were
keen observers and identified Sikiru
by a particular sign. They, therefore,
released his companion, but intended
to harm him, but Sikiru had to plead
with them to spare his companion’s life.
“We endured severe beatings
and were struck with the butt of an
AK-47 rifle. We spent the night in
the bush because, on the day of the
kidnapping, the kidnappers lost their
way in the dense forest.
“The presence of local vigilantes
with their torchlights had disrupted
their movement, prompting them to
change their route,” Sikiru revealed,
highlighting the perilous and terrify-
ing circumstances they faced during
their captivity.
He expressed immense gratitude
that the kidnappers took them to a
different location than the one they
originally knew. It turned out that the
gunmen were cautious about avoid-
ing the vigilantes, and their decision
to change their route inadvertently
led to their getting lost.
Sikiru recognized this twist of
fate as a fortunate turn of events and
thanked God for their safety, as it
likely played a crucial role in their
eventual release.
Sikiru explained that on Tuesday,
after nearly three days in captivity,
the kidnappers regained their bear-
ings. When they reached a town
where there were people, Sikiru de-
cided to take matters into his own
hands. He noticed that the kidnap-
pers were receiving information
from two individuals named Mallam
Hassan and Magaji, who spoke the
same language as the kidnappers.
Throughout their journey in-
side the bush, SK’s face had been
covered, but he managed to shift it
slightly at times to get an idea of their
location. When they approached a
town, Sikiru saw two young men,
but had doubts about their ability to
rescue him, fearing they might run
away in fear.
The kidnappers concealed their
weapons and placed them beside
Sikiru to avoid detection. He was sit-
ting on a motorcycle behind one of
the kidnappers while the second bike
followed behind.
After trekking for more than 24
hours, Sikiru had not eaten anything,
neither had the kidnappers. They
hadn’t even allowed him to pray,
and they themselves did not pray. In-
stead, they resorted to stealing farm
products like groundnuts from the
local area to sustain themselves.
Upon reaching the town, Sikiru
seized an opportunity to make a dar-
ing escape. He dragged the bike with
the kidnappers into a pit and then managed to flee to save his life.
It was at this point that Sikiru
encountered local vigilantes who ar-
rested the kidnappers the following
day and recovered all their belong-
ings, including their phones. Sikiru
was subsequently rescued by the
vigilantes and the Nigerian Army,
bringing an end to his terrifying ab-
duction.
ENUGU
But for the abduction of about
14 passengers on Friday, September
17 along the Ugwuogo-Opi-Nsukka
expressway in Nsukka Local Gov-
ernment and a Catholic Priest, Rev.
Fr. Okide of the Catholic Diocese
of Enugu and six other travellers,
on Sunday, September 17, along
Eke-Affa-Egede Road in Udi Lo-
cal Government all in Enugu State,
incidence of kidnapping can be said
to have reduced in Enugu State in the
last few months.
Before the two incidents, the state
had a sort of relief from what was al-
most a daily occurrence in the state
especially along the Ugwuogo-Opi-
Nsukka road and Four Corners areas,
with the state government’s coordi-
nated efforts of the security agencies.
The victims of the Ugwuogo-
Opi-Nsukka road abduction were
travelling in a fully loaded bus from
Enugu town to Obollo-Afor when
they fell victim to the heavily armed
assailants who forcibly took all the
occupants of the bus, including the
driver, hostage.
The kidnappers of the Catholic
Priest and six others were said to
have demanded for N100 million
from relatives of the victims as ran- som before they could be released.
Sunday Sun gathered that these
days the kidnappers demand that ran-
som be transferred to the accounts of
their victims or they give some days
for the victims’ relatives to gather the
cash from various accounts.
“One of my friends, when his
brother was kidnapped and because
of the CBN rules, the N5 million
they paid as ransom was moved
piecemeal into various accounts of
relations and friends who withdrew
and collated the amounts to meet
up,” a source that pleaded anonym-
ity said.
In Enugu State, Ugwuogo-Opi-
Nsukka road, is said to be the most
notorious hotbed for kidnappers and
armed robbers. Also identified as
kidnapping hotspots are Egede, Enugu Ezike, Ette in Igbo Eze, Affa, Eke
and 4 Corners. They are hotspots be-
cause they have large forests.
On fighting the menace, the Enu-
gu State government is said to have
been working very hard with the se-
curity agencies in the state and had
recently launched the Distress Rapid
Squad (DRS) with many patrol cars.
This has made the presence of secu-
rity operatives visible at most of the
flashpoints in the state.
The government is also working
on reorganising the vigilante services
especially the Forest Guard.Also
both the police and the Army have
increased presence and roadblocks
along some of the roads, including
the Ugwuogo-Opi-Nsukka road.
OYO
Residents of Oyo State and pas-
sers-by have been heaving sighs of
relief over the decreasing kidnapping
rates in the state in the recent time.
The evidence emerged as kidnap-
ping has been on the decline in the
state within the past four months.
On September 22, 2023, the Oyo
State Police Command paraded 33
suspects based on offences ranging
from armed robbery, stealing, un-
lawful killing, cattle rustling, imper-
sonation, and car snatching. But no
case of kidnapping was mentioned,
which was a total departure from
what was obtainable in the past.The
roads marked as notorious kidnap-
ping places, such as Ibadan-Iseyin
Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway,
Ibadan-Iwo Road, Ibadan-Abeokuta
Road, and Ibadan-Ife Junction-Ilesha
Road, have not been in the news for
kidnapping cases within the past four
months, unlike it used to be when
individuals were the targets for ran-
som.
Reports suggest that the kidnap-
pers often demand mobile money
transfers or request family members
to deposit the ransom in their bank
accounts. On some occasions, they
will demand for cash and how rela-
tives of their victims would get the
money, either in naira or dollars,
would not be their concern.
Oyo State government has,
however, taken several measures to
curb the menace. The administra-
tion of Governor Seyi Makinde, has
bought hundreds of vehicles to sup- port conventional security agencies,
as well as the two security outfits of
the state – the Amotekun Corps, and
the Operation Burst, which is a joint
security network.The Commandant
of Amotekun Corps in the state, Col
Olayinka Olayanju (rtd) on different
occasions told this reporter that the
security organisation has been col-
laborating with sister security agen-
cies to fight crime and criminality in
the state.The Amotekun operatives,
he said, have been deployed to black
spots on the inter-city and inter-town
roads as well as other strategic loca-
tions to maintain security and or-
derliness.The Nigeria Police Force,
Amotekun Corps, Operation Burst,
and other security agencies, as gath- ered, have embarked on patrols on
notorious kidnapping spots on the
highways, while vigilante groups
are also receiving better training and
equipment. In addition to these, the
state government has also repaired,
reconstructed, and constructed a
number of roads to improve security
architecture of the state, and possi-
bly reduce response time by secu-
rity agencies to emergencies.The
Commissioner of Police in the state,
Hamzat Adebola, said that through
purposeful inter-agency collabora- tions and various community polic-
ing initiatives with the host commu-
nities, the command has strategically
ensured that the state did not become
a safe haven to hoodlums and other
sinister-minded individuals, “espe-
cially as people navigate through the
mmber period.”
However, some spots are still
considered kidnapping hotspots.
These spots are mainly around forest
reserves, where the terrain provides
soft cover for kidnappers. Experts
recommended consistent surveil-
lance, intelligence gathering, and
proactive response by security agen-
cies to reduce the incidence of kid-
napping in the state.
DELTA
Despite the onslaught against
criminal elements in Delta State by
security agents, kidnapping for ran-
som has continued across parts of
the oil-rich state. Travellers on failed
roads have become soft targets for
kidnappers.
Failed portions of the Benin-Sa-
pele-Warri road, Sapele-Eku-Agbor
road, among others, have become
hotspots for armed men who whisk
passengers into nearby bushes from
where they negotiate ransom with
distraught family members.
For instance, commuters plying
the now busy Jesse/Oben route via
Agbor and Asaba are lamenting the
unwholesome activities of kidnap-
pers on the route, calling on the gov-
ernments of Edo and Delta to come
to their aid.
Before now, the commuters were
using the by-pass in Benin to Agbor
bypass via Asaba from either Sapele,
Jesse and Mosogar. But that route
has been abandoned due to the de-
plorable nature of the road, hence
this alternative was discovered.
According to some of them, who
spoke under condition of anonymity,
journeying on the road was peaceful
and safe until the men of the under-
world took advantage of its lonely
nature, and started laying ambush for
innocent commuters.
Only recently, the daughter of a
newspaper vendor in Sapele among
other occupants of a Toyota Sienna
were abducted by kidnappers and
taken away into the forest around the
Edo State axis of the road.
It was learnt that victims were
freed in batches depending on when
the ransom demands of the kidnap-
pers were met.
Sunday Sun gathered that unlike
previously when agreed ransoms
were paid in raw cash, the hoodlums
now force victims to either make
transfers with POS machines or di-
rectly through bank apps or USSD
codes while in captivity.
In most cases, it was further
learnt, bank accounts of victims are
emptied, and family members would
have to transfer extra funds into his/
her hitherto emptied account to meet
with the demands by the hostage tak-
ers.
In the meantime, an activist, Tony
Onwuka, observed that although
some victims regain freedom after
ransom payment, a lot of others are
killed for their inability to meet the
ransom demand of the hostage tak-
ers.
Mr Onwuka contended that a lot
of those whisked away never re- turned home and their whereabouts
remained unknown because they
might have been killed at the slight-
est provocation.
Besides, a public affairs commen-
tator, Balogun Mabamijie, relayed
how the son of a devout Christian in
one of the pentecostal churches was
kidnapped in Ughelli, adding that a
hefty ransom was paid to have him
freed.
Balogun stated that the distraught
father who narrated his experience
and that of his son at the hands of the
kidnappers, said the family and his
son passed through hell for the five
days the son was held captive by the
kidnappers.
