A graduate of Benue State University, Ibi Phillip, has recounted his nine-day ordeal in the hands of kidnappers who abducted him and eleven other travellers in Edo State while he was travelling to Akure, Ondo State, for the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, orientation exercise.
Phillip, who studied Mass Communication, said the incident occurred on September 30, 2026, when he boarded a Benue Links bus heading to Akure.
He explained that armed men, some dressed in military camouflage, stopped the vehicle around Ibillo in Edo State and ordered the passengers to lie on the ground before taking them into the forest towards Okene in Kogi State.
The victims, comprising eight men and four women, were allegedly subjected to severe beatings, starvation and threats as their abductors demanded ransom from their families.
Phillip said the kidnappers initially demanded fifteen million naira but later negotiated different amounts with the families of the victims.
He disclosed that one of the victims was forced to pay four million naira because the kidnappers believed he was a medical doctor after seeing an artificial intelligence-generated photograph of him dressed as a doctor.
Phillip said he paid two million naira, while other victims paid varying amounts depending on what their families could afford.
According to him, the abductors frequently changed locations within the forest and tortured some victims when their relatives failed to meet the ransom demands.
The victims were eventually released on October 8, after their families made payments to the kidnappers in Okene.
Phillip, who expressed gratitude to God for his survival, said the experience had left him traumatised, adding that he still becomes frightened when confronted with situations that remind him of his ordeal.
He also expressed concern over the response of relevant authorities, alleging that he and his family received no immediate assistance from the transport company and some security agencies after the incident.
The former captive, who said he was receiving medical treatment, advised travellers, particularly young people travelling to unfamiliar destinations, to remain security-conscious and take necessary precautions.
He also called for greater attention to the plight of families affected by kidnapping, stressing that abduction leaves victims and their loved ones with lasting emotional and financial burdens.
Punch
