Gbolahan Olaniyi has narrated how he and two other captives regained their freedom after their kidnappers’ cook became angry over the ₦15,000 he received from a ₦2m ransom payment.
Speaking during an interview from 03:40 with The Punch, Olaniyi described the ordeal he endured after being taken into a forest by armed men. He said the victims were forced to trek barefoot for five days before reaching the kidnappers’ camp, where they were beaten and tortured.
He added that the gang sometimes sent them to harvest maize and yam from nearby farms for food, while they depended on river water for drinking during their time in captivity.
According to Olaniyi, the kidnappers contacted his mother on the fifth day and demanded ₦15m for his release. His tractor operator, Mr Kazim, who was abducted alongside him, was later killed after his family reportedly failed to meet the ransom demand.
Olaniyi said he spent 22 days with the first group before being handed over to another gang, which demanded an additional ₦20m. He was held with two other victims, and their hands and ankles were kept in chains.
He explained that one member of the gang, who prepared their meals, was also responsible for unlocking their restraints whenever they needed to move.
After his mother informed the kidnappers that the family could only afford ₦2m, the money was transferred to them through a bank transaction. However, Olaniyi said the gang collected the payment on the 40th day but refused to release him.
Their opportunity to escape came when the gang’s cook decided to leave after receiving only ₦15,000 from the ransom money. Olaniyi said the boy, who usually unlocked their chains, left with his gun and clothes but mistakenly abandoned the key at the camp.
Recounting how they seized the opportunity, Olaniyi said, “He was the person who usually unlocked the chains around our hands and ankles whenever we needed to move. After collecting N15,000 from the N2m ransom, he got angry told them that he was no longer working with them and wanted to go to his father’s house, which was not far from their camp.
“He left with his gun and clothes but left the key behind. We took the key and unlocked the chains around our hands and ankles. That was how we escaped into the bush,”
The three men then spent another three days trekking through the forest before reaching a village called San Louisa in Kogi State. Olaniyi said residents contacted soldiers at Okako, where he had been abducted, leading to military assistance that eventually reunited him with his family.
He also disclosed that the ordeal had left his family struggling financially, forcing them to borrow money to survive. He said they had exhausted their resources and were living in an uncompleted building.
“Ever since then, life has been very difficult for us because we have had to borrow money. We are a struggling family, and we have nothing left. We even live in an uncompleted building.”
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