CSR/HUMAN ANGLEInterview

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH KIDNAPPED OGORI-BRIDE-TO-BE: ‘I’ve Called My Relatives Not To Travel At Night When Coming To Ogori For Christmas’ – Released Abducted Bride-To-Be Speaks

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Deborah with Pastor Flourish Atoju after release

BREAKING: Gunmen kidnap bride-to-be, two others in Kogi

Deborah Ijese Afolabi with her hubby

Less than 24 hours to her wedding slated for Friday December 24, Miss Deborah Ijese Afolabi, who was kidnapped on December 16, 2021 alongside two others along Ageva-Magongo road in Ogori-Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State, but were released about 48 hours later after paying a ransom, speaks with STONIX NEWS which exclusively broke the news of the kidnap the following day. In this exclusive interview conducted on Wednesday December 22 virtually, seven days after the saga, excited Deborah disclosed the identity of her abductors, whom, she said, could barely speak English Language, with a reflection on her harrowing experience and what the government should do to stem the tide of kidnapping in the land. Excerpts: 

How was your kidnap experience like?

Sir the experience was not a good one o, but we thank God for life.

What did they do to you?

We were tortured with their sticks, we were slapped, we were hit with their gun butts.

How many were you the victims and how many were the kidnappers? 

We the victims were three and the kidnappers were seven. Initially, they were seven that captured us, but when they brought us to their hideout, more started joining them. They were coming and going, it was like they were visiting each other.

Where did they take you guys to?

We don’t know the particular place they took us to, but it was a thick forest and it was like it was outside Kogi State.

Did they take you there in their vehicles? 

No sir, we trekked o; we climbed hills, mountains, went in and out of river; we were trekking barefooted.

Were you giving food to eat?

Yes, they gave us their concoction rice without pepper to eat. It was mostly rice and yam with nothing other than oil.

Was the food cooked in your presence? 

Yes, it was cooked in our presence, but our eyes were blindfolded.

Were you blindfolded when you were being taken inside the bush?

No, we were not blindfolded, but we couldn’t recognize them because they were on mask.

When you were able to see them, were they young guys or old men? 

They were young guys; the youngest among them should be 17 and the oldest should be 20, 22.

What language were they speaking? 

They were speaking Fulani and Hausa.

At what spot were you kidnapped?

We were kidnapped between Ageva axis and Magongo.

How did they kidnap you guys? 

As we were driving from Ageva, they were not on the way o. We passed policemen, who were mounting a roadblock; after some kilometres, they came out from bush with their torchlights. They were shining it on our eyes. At first, we thought they were our local vigilantes, not until they shot straight at our car that we realised that they were not vigilantes.

They shot at us and our driver was trying to escape them and the next thing they did was to throw a rag containing petrol and fire at the front and back of the car so that we couldn’t go back nor go forward.

The driver was scared and was trying to manoeuvre his way. He was trying to turn back and go back to Okene that was when the car somersaulted three times and my husband’s brother that was at the front was trying to come out of the car. The car somersaulted and stopped and he was under it.

It was about nine days to your wedding, when they kidnapped and took you guys inside the bush; at that point, what was going on in your mind?

I was confused initially when the car stopped and they came closer. The moment they got to the car, they took the driver out of the car, used their sticks on him, my husband’s brother that was under the car was dragged out and was slapped with a cutlass. I was brought out and slapped twice; that was when they now marched us inside the forest. We walked for about one and a half hour before they stopped to look at the category of people they were kidnapping. That was when I noticed that my travelling bag was carried from the car. They collected my husband’s wedding suit, my clothes, my husband’s shoes, everything we were supposed to use for the wedding and those things were not returned to us again.

How were they able to contact your family members? 

They didn’t use their phones; we were the ones using our phones.

What mistake do you think you made that day that you shouldn’t have made?

The mistake I made was that, when I got to Total Filling Station and it was late, I should have slept over and continue my journey the next day.

What advice are you giving to people who are coming home for the Yuletide celebration? 

I have been calling my people that are coming home from far and near, especially those coming to Ogori that will take Okene and Ibillo axis that they shouldn’t make night journeys and if it’s like 4:00p.m to 5:00p.m, they should look for a place to sleep instead of coming home that night.

You were set free after almost 48 hours, how did you get out of that place down to Ogori?

They led us to a particular point and pointed at a palm tree which direction we were to follow. They were just describing how we would get to the main road which we followed, got to a path. We were walking that path for more than three hours before we could get to the main road. When we got to the main road, we didn’t see taxi o because people were scared of carrying us as we were looking so rough, dirty and tattered. People were scared to carry us. It was a good samaritan that helped us and gave us a lift. When they led us to the point where we entered the road, they told us that our people were in two cars waiting for us. As we were coming out of the bush, our people were calling, but we couldn’t pick our calls because those areas are their areas they are more than five groups; we were scared of another group coming to kidnap us so we were just running and walking just to make sure we got out of the bush before night.

Where did you guys burst out from?

I can’t remember the path, but it was like part of Edo.

What was the reaction of people at home when you got home?

When we got home, from Akpafa Secretariat, Ogori, people were already waiting to see us. We got to the house of the people that helped us and met many people there rejoicing and jubilating. When we got to the market place, it was as if the people were waiting for the arrival of a governor. People were happy and fully waiting to see us. We thank God.

What will you tell the government to do to stop kidnapping? 

They were saying things like they had a need, but government has not met their needs; and they are in need of money; no job and nothing to do. So, what I would beg government to do is to provide job opportunities for them. They should empower those that do not wish to go to school (because most of them don’t know how to speak English) by training them on skills that will make them to be self-employed.

Government should come to our aid also and give to them what they say they need.

Do you smell a foul play in your kidnap?

I don’t smell any foul play at all. It was just accidental because now, they are operating full time – morning, afternoon and night. Our vigilantes went on operation recently and it was bloody. They were attacked.

Your wedding is tomorrow Friday, what is going to happen on that day?

That day is going to be glorious, fully packed with celebration. Even though things have changed from what we had planned before, it is still going to be celebration all the way.

 

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