The victims were abducted on Wednesday along the Taraku–Otukpo Road in Otukpo Local Government Area when gunmen attacked a Benue Links vehicle conveying passengers.
Rescued victims of a kidnapping incident in Benue State have narrated how they endured torture, hunger and repeated abuse during four days in captivity before regaining their freedom.
The victims were abducted on Wednesday along the Taraku–Otukpo Road in Otukpo Local Government Area when gunmen attacked a Benue Links vehicle conveying passengers.
They were rescued in the early hours of Sunday by security operatives after sustained pressure mounted on the abductors, with all 18 passengers eventually accounted for.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, who received the victims at the Government House in Makurdi, confirmed that eight of them were candidates of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, while others were regular commuters.
Providing accounts of their ordeal, an 18-year-old victim, Gbenda Daniels, told journalists that the kidnappers dispossessed him and subjected them to severe hardship.
“They collected my N8,000. They beat us, and we didn’t eat anything; we only drank dirty water,” he was quoted by Daily Trust as saying.
Another victim, Ngukulan Iornav, also a UTME candidate, described the meagre food given to them during their captivity.
“They gave us garri and salt. I was thoroughly beaten,” she said.
Narrating the sequence of events, Orih Raphael Sylvester, a medical student, explained how the victims were moved around the forest to avoid detection by 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.
He further stated that the abductors intensified ransom demands before their release and eventually directed them out of the forest.
“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. We eventually came out around Okete,” he added.
Other victims also recounted similar experiences, with Akor Jessica describing the incident as traumatic and violent.
“It was a nightmare. What we went through was too much. We were on our way to ‘write’ (take) our exams. They beat me with big sticks and machetes at will, but God saw us through,” she said.
A relative of two victims, Ochadgwuba Alexander, said the kidnappers demanded huge sums for their release and described the emotional strain on families.
“It was a nightmare for us. The kidnappers demanded N10 million for each victim,” he said.
He added that he delivered ransom and later contacted security personnel to assist in evacuating the victims.
“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 added.
Meanwhile, Governor Alia appealed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to allow affected candidates to take their missed examinations, assuring that the state government would support them and intensify security efforts across affected areas.
