My Harrowing Experience In Hands Of Kidnappers Enroute Warri -Victim
The scale or progression of Kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria is at its worst high as every now and then, national news headlines are splashed with stories of hundreds of school children being kidnapped with the federal government negotiating their release with millions of naira that would have refurbished the country’s degrading infrastructure or settled arrears of salaries owed civil servants. The tales of national woes from these Kidnapping gangs are not sweet sounding. From April 2014 to December 2020, government has paid Ransome to kidnappers for the release of an estimated 1,200 persons, mostly school children. Individuals who have encountered these dare-devil gangs have narrated their gruesome and harrowing experiences. Some who were kidnapped on highways, others in their farms while the remaining were picked from their homes.Thankful that they made it back to friends and family, it is also heartbreaking that some lost their lives during those encounters. It is a mixed reaction for Mark Amechi Emmanuel who was kidnapped in broad day light on the Benin Bypass enroute Delta state on Friday 19th February,2021. He recounted his “… battling between life and death in the hands of Fulani Kidnappers, the most dreaded experience in Nigeria today” “ON MY WAY TO WARRI Friday 19th, February. It was just a very normal early morning, but with a little bit of excitement in the air. I and my family just moved in to our new apartment after making all necessary financial and legal agreements, clean ups and unpacking. As a matter of fact, Thursday night was the first night we slept together in the new apartment. So I was supposed to stay much much longer in bed so as to catch up with my strength. But I had to make this one necessary trip to Warri. A lot of people who know me didn’t know I have relocated to lagos. Having secured a new apartment, I needed to go back to Warri to pick up some of my household stuff, return, settle and get back to work. THE JOURNEY In Nigeria, When you are about to hit the highway on a trip, especially with your own car, alone, you want to first settle in your subconscious that you will be meeting over 20 police, FRSC, Army and Customs check points. So your particulars must be in tact, or else… As early as 5:30am I was already on lekki Epe express way. The moment I made it passed Ijebu Ode, like role calls, I had already gone passed 3 check points, and faced with the ones ahead. As I made it through the last one, where I was delayed for over 20 minutes, I just called my wife and informed her that I’m entering the Benin Bypass. FULANI KIDNAPPERS About 1:15pm. For those who know the Benin bypass area well, I have barely made the round turn coming from Benin Ore express way to settle on my speed ahead, when I heard what seemed like a car tyre burst. It sounded quiet but repeatedly so I looked at my rear mirror and in front to be sure. I also observed the other cars in front of me hitting the breaks in very swift succession. So I knew we all heard the sound. I had to also apply my break thinking something is happening up ahead. But no, it’s already happening in my very before. As I looked to my left I just saw 4 gunmen coming out of the bushes, heavily armed with sharp machetes and AK47s. Several rounds where shot in the air. There were two of them already in our front and back with 4 cars: mine, a Mercedes in my front and two trucks, trapped in the middle. As the gunmen came close, the Mercedes car just picked up acceleration and made a swerve into the Bush on the right. Immediately I heard a voice that ordered one to follow the car, as if they knew he had no where to run to. As one of them was coming close to me I could see the one that seemed to be the leader speaking with the drivers of the two trucks in Hausa language. He then told his men to let them go. By now I was out of my car with both my hands raised up and one entered into my car and was just searching everywhere. OK, everything was just happening very fast that I wasn’t able to first comprehend the entire situation. I just knew at that moment that I was out of my car, lying face down on the road with a machine gun pointed at me, and someone else is in my car searching it. In my mind I just assumed that these guys will just search my car, maybe take whatever they want and let me go. What was I thinking? What can I even think at that moment. As my mind was going through this confusion, I just heard the leader say “take this one inside, he has family; they’ll pay for him”. What?! Did I just hear “take him inside…., pay for him”? Immediately I heard the tall one close to me saying I should get up or he’ll shoot me. So quickly replied in Hausa language that he shouldn’t shoot me that I’ll cooperate. He then asked me to put my hands slowly inside my pocket and empty it. As I was about to do that, he warned me that if I make a foul move, “one bullet to your head”. He took the money with me and threw away my wallet without considering anything else inside. He then faced the gun at me and in a very malicious tone, said: “oya, dey go inside now or I fire you!”. Turning towards the forest where he’s directing me to enter, I just said to myself, “that’s Fulani accent!”. It was at this point it became dawn on me that I have been Kidnapped by Fulani bandits. Click link below to continue reading...
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