Rescued kidnap victims, including candidates of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), on Sunday recounted their harrowing experiences of torture, hunger and inhumane treatment during four days in captivity.
NOP NIGERIA recalls that the victims were abducted on Wednesday along the Taraku-Otukpo road in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State when gunmen attacked a Benue Links vehicle conveying passengers.
They were, however, rescued in the early hours of Sunday following sustained pressure mounted on the kidnappers by security operatives.
The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, received the victims at the Government House in Makurdi, confirming that eight of them were UTME candidates, while others were regular commuters.
He said the victims would undergo medical checks before being reunited with their families.
“Among the victims are eight students who were preparing to write UTME, while the others are regular commuters. We will support their education and ensure such incidents do not recur,” the governor said.
Alia also appealed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to allow the affected candidates to sit for the examination they missed due to the abduction.
‘They Gave Us Garri And Salt, Beat Us’ – Victim
According to Daily Trust, one of the victims, 18-year-old Gbenga Daniels, said he was dispossessed of ₦8,000 and subjected to severe beating.
“They collected my ₦8,000. They beat us, and we didn’t eat anything; we only drank dirty water,” he said.
Another victim, Ngukulan Iornav, also 18, said they survived on garri and salt throughout their stay in captivity.
“They gave us garri and salt. I was thoroughly beaten,” she added.
A medical student of the University of Maiduguri, Orih Raphael Sylvester, who had just completed his final examinations before the incident, narrated how the ordeal began.
According to him, the passengers departed around 6 pm but encountered delays due to mechanical faults before the attack at about 8:26 pm in Taraku.
He said the kidnappers kept moving them deep into the forest to evade security operatives.
“We were taken into the bush and moved from one place to another. We didn’t eat anything on the first night because we were constantly on the move.
“On the second day, we survived on muddy water. On the third day, they gave us garri and forced us to start calling our families while beating us,” he recounted.
Sylvester added that the abductors intensified pressure on the fourth day, demanding ransom and forcing them to urgently contact their families.
“We were later brought together in another location, given our phones and instructed to make more calls for our release.
“Early Sunday, around 4am, they eventually gave us directions to follow towards the express road, where we later encountered military personnel. It was a horrible experience,” he added.
Another victim, Sunday Augustine, a 100-level Accounting student of the Federal University of Lafia, said he sustained injuries on his elbow due to repeated beatings.
Akor Jessica described the experience as traumatic, saying the victims endured severe torture.
“It was a nightmare. What we went through was too much. We were on our way to write our exams. They beat me with big sticks and machetes at will, but God saw us through,” she said.
Family Paid ₦3.4 Million Ransom
A relative of two victims, Ochadgwuba Alexander, disclosed that the kidnappers initially demanded ₦10 million per victim.
He said he eventually delivered ₦3.4 million in cash alongside supplies worth about ₦33,000, including drinks and yoghurt, to secure their release.
“It was a nightmare for us. The kidnappers demanded ₦10 million for each victim.
“After handing over the ransom, I contacted the military to help convey them from the point they emerged from the bush. I waited for about 40 minutes at Okete village before they were brought out,” Alexander noted.
Earlier, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Enemari, said the victims were rescued through coordinated operations involving multiple security agencies.
According to him, 18 passengers, including the driver, were on board the bus when it was attacked.
He explained that while some victims were initially abandoned or escaped, 13 remained in captivity until Sunday morning.
“Today, all 18 passengers have regained their freedom, with the remaining 13 rescued in the early hours of this morning.
“We already have eight suspects in custody, with sufficient evidence against seven identified as suspected bandits who participated in the attack,” he said.
Enemari added that the victims had identified some of the suspects, noting that the police were working with military intelligence, Operation Whirl Stroke, and NSCDC Agro Rangers.
Meanwhile, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has denied that the victims were UTME candidates.
The board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said investigations revealed that the victims were participants in a police recruitment exercise.
According to him, they had travelled to Makurdi and were returning to Otukpo when the abduction occurred.
JAMB maintained that the claim that they were UTME candidates lacked credibility, noting that candidates are usually assigned to different examination centres and do not travel in groups.
