Date: 2020-12-09

One of the kidnapped Ilorin bound passengers, Bukola Abdulqadir yesterday has recounted her ordeal in the den of her abductors.

The victim who was held hostage by the kidnappers for 25 days, narrated her harrowing experience to National Pilot on Sunday.

Bukola who is still receiving treatment at Banni Hospital, Isale Banni in Ilorin, Kwara State, described her experience as traumatic.

The victim, a trader was on a business trip to Kano when she was abducted by gunmen along Zaria-Kano road.

"I took off from Kano at night around 8pm for Ilorin after I had completed my business transaction. I was jolted from my sleep by sound of slept sporadic gunshots. The gunmen ordered all the passengers to alight from the vehicle and they led us into the forest. We trekked for more than 12 hours till day break "They later called their people who came with their motorcycles to convey us to their den. There they asked us to contact our families and inform them of the need to raise N10million each for our release. They to old is to warn our relatives against involving security agencies else we would be killed."

She said her family negotiated with her kidnappers and they agreed on N1.5million, but after her release she was re-kidnapped by another set of kidnappers who made demand of N1million.

"After the initial N1.5million was paid, they released me and another group of persons came out and re-kidnapped me and the person that came for me. "They demanded for another one million naira. They threatened to kill us if they failed to bring the money. Finally we were released on the day the N1 million naira was paid.

"They took us to one farm and dropped us there. We were helped by farmers who led us out of the farm. A bike man took us to Kaduna-Abuja expressway.

"We were given lift by good Samaritan to Zaria, where I borrowed a phone to communicate our family to break the news of our release."

She recalled that their abductors meted out I'll treatment to them "The kidnappers fed us with half cooked rice and beans and 10 persons were given food that can't be enough for two persons to eat. Sometimes there would be no food. I couldn't eat I survived on water alone throughout. The kidnappers covered our face with sack. We couldn't see them but we could hear their voices. "They spoke in Hausa and Fulani language but they don't pray (solat).

"We are of different tribes in that den, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba among other tribes and more that.

"They beat the hell out of us most especially when they are making contact with our families to bring the money.

"I spent 12 days in one place and seven days in another den. I spent the remaining six days in another den before I was released."

Bukola, however, called on government to ensure adequate security tight on Nigerian roads and make life easier for the poor and every one.

Also speaking, the victim's husband Abdulqadir Madara said the state government neglected them when they requested for their help on the matter.

"We wrote to state government, welcome in, SA Security, SA Religion to Kwara state Governor Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman. Everything is not about money. We need government to contact the Kaduna state Governor and the security to help us." According to him, the kidnappers initially demanded the sum of N10million but later reduced it to N1million after much pleading.

"The suspects demanded the sum of N10million but we begged them profusely and they reduced it to N1,000,000 naira and collected N50,000 worth of airtime.