Crime
Freed NYSC abductees recount ordeal in kidnappers den
Three, out of the eight corps members from Akwa Ibom State, who were kidnapped in Zamfara State on their way for the mandatory one year national service have recounted their harrowing experiences in their kidnappers’ den.
The victims, before regaining their freedom, stayed between two months and one year in captivity.
Speaking with our correspondent in Akwa Ibom in an interview facilitated by the Founder, Open Forum Care for Humanity Foundation, Matthew Koffi Okono on Thursday, the freed corps members (one female and two males) narrated how they were tortured, fed with grasses and drank flood water.
They thanked governments (Federal and Akwa Ibom State) and the NYSC for interventions and pleaded to be employed in the civil service or have any other rewarding establishments.
“The incident happened on August 17, 2023. It was along Gusau road, Zamfara State. You can’t move at speed because of bad spots on the road. They mounted a road block with logs of wood and we thought it was a checkpoint, our driver slowed down waiting for them to remove the blockade.
“Unfortunately, the guys came out, some were wearing kaftans, some put on military camouflage and insignia. They were well armed and they marshalled us out into the bush, including the driver. They carried some of our luggages, stripped us of our belongings, but in the process of taking us into the bush, about three persons escaped.
The place is a forest, it was an open place and there was no shelter, there were only rice sacs which we put on the ground to sleep.
Anytime it rained, we would go under the tree shades for cover until the rains stopped.
All of us, including the kidnappers, stayed there together, they never left us; the only difference is that they held us in captivity and were expecting ransom or money at the end of the day, while we were only expecting our freedom. They are used to that kind of lifestyle while we are not. It was a traumatic experience.
There are so many that I don’t know the one that is most traumatic, is it staying in that bush without the sound of anything other than wild animals? I never knew that I would survive it, let alone staying there for several months. We saw snakes, scorpions, even bush dogs.
The only thing is that if those bush dogs come, our captors will shoot in the air and they will run and never come back. We’ve killed scorpions, snakes. It was just God that was protecting us there.
How they singled me out and took me to Kaduna
Yes they singled me (Solomon) out and said I’m the most stubborn of us all. This could be because I told them there was no money to pay for my ransom and when they contacted my parents, they also told them that there was no money.
They threatened to kill one of us so that we would know that they were serious. I was beaten, tortured and forced to eat grass and drink flood water. Before the grass incident, we stayed for three weeks without food and water. I was later chained and transported from Zamfara to Kaduna on motorcycle through bush tracks.
That was around December, I was very sick; for three months, I couldn’t urinate or defecate, I thought I would die. From the torture and beatings, I had a tear on my head and arms. All these marks on my body (showing off the marks) were from there.
There was nothing like medical care. If you complain, they’ll ask you to sit down. I was just there. I wore the same clothes for the one year I stayed with them and bathed like three times.
Nothing, when I wake up, I’ll just start my own prayer and be sitting down, nowhere to go to, no one to talk to because I was separated from others. Sometimes they asked me to fetch water and I will go with like three armed guards to get it for them.
At some point, I lost hope of coming out alive but I still believed in God. I believed that one day I’ll be released and God did it for me.
As I said I was separated from my colleagues and taken to Kaduna, so on August 22, 2024, about one year and five days, the military came and I was rescued alive. I want to use this opportunity to deeply thank the Army for their gallantry, President Bola Tinubu, Director-General of NYSC, General Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed, Governor Umo Eno, other security operatives, and well-meaning Nigerians for their efforts in securing our freedom.
Government facilitated our freedom and when we were eventually released, though different months and dates, NYSC paid us arrears of our monthly allowances and presented us with two options of either to continue with our service year or to start afresh. We chose to continue and not to start afresh having suffered so much in the kidnappers’ den. We all have received our discharge certificates.
We want to passionately appeal to both the federal and the Akwa Ibom state government to grant us employment to assuage our trauma. They should have compassion on us having suffered so much for months in captivity; it won’t be nice that we will be staying idle at home, we want to be employed and have something to care for our families.”
According to a statement on Friday, the arrested officers are: “AP/No. 207454, ASP Elomore Sodayo; AP/No. 332012, Inspector Adefila Adewale; AP/No. 332449, Inspector Olorunfemi Opeyemi; and AP/No. 332369, Inspector Odusola Peter.”
Speaking at the command headquarters in Akure on Friday, the state Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, said the police had zero tolerance for indiscipline and unprofessional conduct.
He added that a comprehensive investigation had been ordered to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the level of culpability of each officer involved.
He added that officers were expected to conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism, respect human dignity and comply strictly with the Force’s Code of Conduct and Standard Operating Procedures.
“The Nigeria Police Force is a disciplined and professional institution that does not condone any form of misconduct, incivility, or actions capable of undermining public confidence, promoting ethnic division, or bringing the Force into disrepute,” the commissioner said.
He assured the public that the investigation would be conducted to determine the facts of the case, adding that any officer found culpable would face appropriate disciplinary action.
This was said to be part of renewed efforts to tackle insecurity.
Disu gave the directive on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
According to the IG, the order followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive that the persistent insecurity in Benue State must be brought to an end.
He stressed that only authorised security personnel were legally permitted to bear firearms, warning that the era of passive policing was over.
“You cannot move around freely carrying arms as if there is no law and order in this country. It will not be tolerated,” he said.
Disu disclosed that police officers had been empowered under Force Order 237 to respond decisively to armed threats without waiting for directives from superior officers.
“We are tired of losing our men. We are tired of police officers, soldiers, and other members of the security agencies dying anyhow.
“They have been instructed to shoot at sight. They have been trained to do what is necessary. But we will not succeed without the cooperation of all of you.”
He called on residents to support security agencies with credible information, stressing that public cooperation remains critical to the fight against armed criminality.
Benue State has witnessed repeated attacks by armed groups in recent months, resulting in the loss of lives, displacement of residents and destruction of property.
The federal government has continued to deploy additional security personnel and adopt tougher measures aimed at restoring peace in the state.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Fresh fears have gripped residents of Ifite Awka following an alleged plot by suspected gunmen to establish camps in the area where four Fulani herders were killed two days ago.
Security reports indicate that the attack may have been aimed at scaring away visitors to the bush in an attempt to facilitate the establishment of new camps in the area.
Residents recalled that similar tactics had allegedly been used by criminal elements to take over communities, often with the assistance of local collaborators.
The area shares boundaries with Awka North Local Government Area, where there have been reports of gunmen operating in some communities.
Following the development, youths from Ifite Awka have stormed the Ifite Agu area in a manhunt for the suspected gunmen.
The development comes as Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has issued a fresh directive to traditional rulers and President-Generals (PGs) of communities to take charge of the security architecture in their respective areas in conjunction with local security operatives and the mayors of the 21 local government areas.
It was gathered that as early as 5 a.m., some youths in the area had moved into the bushes in search of the suspected gunmen and cattle reportedly missing following the incident.
The youths were accompanied by local hunters who assisted in the search.
Speaking with reporters, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Christian Aburime, confirmed the fresh directive to traditional rulers and President-Generals of communities across the state.
He said, “We have a government that is people-oriented and that is the government of Prof. Charles Soludo, who is a man that loves the people, is at home with the ordinary people and feels their pains.”
Aburime described the incident as unfortunate and urged the police and other relevant security agencies to take immediate action.
He noted that traditional rulers and President-Generals are the first points of contact when it comes to the security of lives and property in their communities, adding that the governor had reiterated his charge to security stakeholders to take control of security in their respective areas.
He, however, said the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out, but added that it would be premature to draw conclusions before the completion of investigations by the relevant security agencies.
“The issue of sabotage against security in Anambra State cannot be ruled out, and that could just be an attempt to undermine the efforts of the government. But I cannot categorically tell you that it is an act of sabotage. We have to wait for the investigations of the security agencies before drawing conclusions,” he said.
He added that the Agunechemba Security Squad was working to improve security in the state, noting that residents had commended the governor for the improved security situation.
“We have a good security architecture in place, and I can tell you that this could just be an isolated incident. Everything necessary that needs to be done will be done in that regard,” Aburime said.
He stressed that security was the responsibility of everyone, regardless of social status or position.
“It is very simple, and the governor has always said that security is everybody’s business. When it happens, it affects everyone, irrespective of class or position,” he said.
According to him, “The President-Generals and traditional rulers are the first points of security in their communities and should be able to ensure that there is no security breach in their respective localities.”
He urged residents to provide useful intelligence to security agencies, assuring them that their identities would be protected.
“If you see something, say something. These people doing these things are human beings, and they live in the localities. People should be able to know them. They should avail us of intelligence reports, and that will help us fish them out. Your identity will always be protected,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), CP Ahmed Sanusi, has urged residents, particularly youths, to resist attempts by police officers to search their mobile phones during stop-and-search operations.
Sanusi said such searches violate a directive issued by the Inspector-General of Police, stressing that officers are not permitted to randomly search the phones of members of the public.
The commissioner made the remarks during a press conference shared by News Central Television on Tuesday.
He explained that although mobile phones could be used as evidence in criminal investigations, they should only be examined after a suspect has been lawfully arrested and taken to a police station.
According to him, officers are not authorised to stop people on the road and demand access to their phones merely on suspicion that they may be involved in internet fraud or other criminal activities.
Sanusi urged residents confronted by officers demanding to search their phones to seek assistance by contacting the police emergency line or nearby police officers.
He reaffirmed the FCT Police Command’s commitment to enforcing the Inspector-General’s directive, warning that officers found violating the order would face disciplinary action.
He said the command would continue to take action against officers who abuse their authority or engage in extortion under the guise of conducting stop-and-search operations.
The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 39-year-old man, Udeme Emmanuel Ekpeme, for allegedly impersonating a medical doctor and defrauding a woman of ₦500,000 under the guise of securing employment for her children at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists on Tuesday in Calabar.
According to the statement, Ekpeme was arrested by officers attached to the Uwanse Division in Calabar South Local Government Area following a petition by a 45-year-old woman, Mrs Edemawan Samuel.
The complainant alleged that the suspect falsely presented himself as a medical doctor and collected ₦500,000 from her after promising to facilitate employment for her children at UCTH.
Police said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect allegedly used the false representation to deceive the woman into handing over the money.
Relevant exhibits believed to be connected to the alleged offences were also recovered during the investigation, while the suspect remains in police custody.
The police spokesperson said the suspect is being investigated for alleged impersonation, obtaining money by false pretence and unlawful use of medical equipment.
The Commissioner of Police, Rashid Afegbua, has directed detectives to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the full extent of the suspect’s activities and identify any other possible victims or accomplices.
The command said the suspect would be charged to court upon completion of investigations if sufficient evidence is established.
The police assured members of the public that further updates would be provided as the investigation progresses.
The arrest comes weeks after the Edo State Police Command announced the arrest of a 46-year-old man, Osaze Okungbowa, who was accused of impersonating a medical doctor and allegedly delivering babies and trafficking newborns.
The Edo suspect was arrested following a complaint by a woman, Princess Oke, who reported that the baby she delivered under his care had gone missing, leading to a police investigation.
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