Three Delta State residents, Uche Chibuogwu, Prosper Okolie, and Sunday Nnamdi, speak about their ordeals in the hands of kidnappers terrorising Asaba, the state capital, reports Saturday PUNCH.
Excerpts:
How did you land in the hands of kidnappers?
My name is Uche Chibuogwu. I’m a lawyer; I was coming from court on the day I was kidnapped. It was on the 14th of November, 2024. I had a matter in Benin City, Edo State. I did not go in my car. So, I parked it somewhere in Asaba. Around 8pm, as I was driving home, I didn’t know some people were trailing me. At the entrance of my gate, when I came down from the car, I saw four men surrounding me.
They shot sporadically into the air to scare people away. I shouted but they dragged me into their vehicle. My wife heard about what was going on, and they almost shot her as well. She ran back into the house. ‘Waste that woman,’ one of them ordered. After that, they started beating me. I was blindfolded and dehumanised. They broke my head in the process. I could hear my wife wailing as they drove me away from my house.
Was there anything done to nail these kidnappers?
One of the hard objects they used to beat me was later found in front of my house. It fell from them in the process of hitting me. But no other thing was done apart from reporting to the police.
What was the next thing your abductors did?
They drove me around for like six to seven hours, but I didn’t know the exact areas because I was blindfolded. I could not see any place. I could only imagine.
What were they saying in the car as they drove you around?
They took my phone and asked me to mention the people they could call for ransom. They saw my ID, voter and ATM cards after searching my wallet. When they called my family, they told them to send money into my account. They called my wife, children, and friends. They collected N3.6m from my family as ransom.
They took my phone and asked me for my PIN. Then, they dropped me off. They dropped me off somewhere after my people had sent them the ransom. I later knew where they dropped me when I asked people. They even took my records and my shoes. They went away with my phone and ATM to withdraw the money.
So, what time did they drop you off?
It was 3am the following day. I think they thought I was dead because at a point, I was not talking or responding to what they were saying again.
How did you manage to get back home after they dropped you off?
They dropped me at Okpanam by the Customs checkpoint in Asaba. Before they dropped me, one of them said, ‘He’s already dead.’ They used my phone cord to tie my hand behind my back. My shirt was full of bloodstains. I started trekking from that place to Asaba Airport.
Fortunately, there was a bus following people who were doing a bike marathon that transported me to Summit Junction around 4am. It was from there that I found my way back to my house at Ezenei Avenue, Asaba.
After you got to your house, did you inform the police?
I went to a police station. They didn’t do anything. There was no investigation done. They were only asking me to bring money for them to go and track that phone. They asked for money before they could track the phone with the IMEI number and all that. I didn’t give the police any money because there was no money again. The kidnappers had taken everything. Aside from that, I was being treated in the hospital.
What language did the kidnappers use to communicate?
They spoke Igbo. It was the Anambra dialect. They were speaking Igbo with me.
Before your experience with these criminals, have you heard about kidnap in that axis?
Yes, the kidnappers operate daily around Azagba-Ogwashi-Uku, Umunede, and its environs along the Old Road. However, the worst is around the Asaba metropolis, where people come from Anambra State. It is a daily occurrence. We are living in trepidation here. Since that day, I haven’t stayed in my office more than 6pm. Sometimes, I close by 5pm. I go home straight. These kidnappers take advantage of the darkness to perpetrate their criminalities.
What have people done to address this menace?
People are coming out to volunteer as vigilantes in their communities, but we still need the government’s support. I can’t say that the police are helpless in this circumstance. So, we have the security in our hands. The best thing one can do is to go home.
These kidnappings don’t happen in the afternoon. Most times, it’s in the cover of darkness. It’s only God that saves us; there is no security in this town. I’m telling you the truth. When the kidnappers abducted me that day, no police stopped them anywhere. I didn’t know even where they took me to.
POLICE TOLD MY FAMILY TO LOCK GATE, LEAVE ME TO DIE – COMEDIAN
What happened on the day the kidnappers attacked you?
My name is Prosper Okolie. It happened on October 6, 2024. I was attacked by a gang of four kidnappers in front of my house around 7pm. I was going to work; I just drove out of my house and came down from the car to lock the gate. Immediately I locked the gate, I saw these criminals jump out from the nearby bush.
They were four in number. One of them was holding an AK-47 rifle, while the rest held daggers. I wanted to escape but they rounded me up. One of them ordered that I should follow them. I refused. I said I wouldn’t follow them. They started hitting me with sticks and I was struggling to get away from them which resulted in a fight. Eventually, one of them stabbed me in the head with a dagger.
What kind of work were you doing that made you go to work at 7pm?
I’m an entertainer, actor, comedian, and hype man.
Did you follow them after you were stabbed?
I was bleeding, while still trying to struggle with them. At that time, my family saw and heard what was going on and started shouting. At that point, that was when God showed up for me because I called everybody but no response or help from them. I could neither move nor breathe properly.
What did you mean when you said ‘God showed up’ for you?
The kidnappers were shooting everywhere so that nobody would come to my rescue. My family called the police but they couldn’t come. At that point, when I was feeling weak, there was a shootout with them. There were gunshots against the kidnappers and they left me and ran away. It was God who I prayed to who rescued me. God answered my prayer. Yes, it was only God’s miracle.
When all of this was happening, were there no people who could come to rescue you?
No vehicle passed at that time. Nobody was passing. My neighbours were around, but nobody could come out because of the gunshots. They were shooting rapidly and nobody could come to my rescue.
Did the people come out after the kidnappers ran away?
After that, I was rushed to the hospital. I was attended to and got the necessary treatment. I thank God because the hospital first rejected me. They asked me to go and bring a police report. It was just because of God’s grace that the nurse on the shift that night admitted me. I was shaking. I’d lost a lot of blood. My eyes were white. I took four pints. I spent three days in the hospital.
What kind of language were they speaking during their operation?
They sounded like Fulani. They were speaking English to me but their intonation had Fulani in it. They pronounced ‘kill’ as ‘killii’. They were saying, ‘If you don come, I willii killii you. I willii killii you from here. Believe me, I willii killii you from here.’ So, it didn’t sound like Yoruba or Igbo intonation. It sounded like Hausa/Fulani.
Have you heard of any kidnap incident in that area before your experience?
No. I don’t think I’ve heard any kidnap cases on my street. Mine should have been the first if I could say that. However, there have been kidnap cases generally around Azagba-Ogawshi-Uku along Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku.
Did you report to the police?
I didn’t report to the police station. When the kidnappers tried to abduct me, my family called the police but there was no response. The response from the police got me angry when I was told later. The policeman told my family that they should lock the door and enter inside.
He said, ‘If they want to kill the person, let them kill the person.’ The statement did not sound professional about what should come out of the police. But the Divisional Officer of our area was aware of what happened.
How did he become aware?
When I was in the hospital, the vigilantes came to check on me and also visited my family. They came in the company of my friend. After they saw how I bled, they gave a report to the Divisional Officer.
KIDNAPPERS TOLD ME I WAS NEXT AFTER ABDUCTING MY FRIENDS – DELTA BIZMAN
How did you escape from the suspected kidnappers who wanted to abduct you?
My name is Sunday Nnamdi. I’m a businessman. The incident happened on the 8th of January, 2025. I was at home. Some of my friends and family members came to visit me, and we decided to go and relax in a nearby lounge in Asagba-Ogwashi-Uku. After we got there, we spent time together, and by 6pm, we decided to leave.
I dropped my people at the junction. Then, I wanted to get shawarma for my wife at a place. I drove to the place with my nephew. While I was coming home, I called my wife to go and open the gate. It was around a few minutes to 8pm at that time. In front of my house, my niece came to open the gate.
All of a sudden, I heard her shout, ‘Brother Sunday! Brother Sunday!’ I thought I was about to hit an object not knowing that she had seen the criminals that wanted to ambush me. Before I could say, Jack Robinson, a guy came near me with a gun. He shot in the air. He began to shoot sporadically. Then, he ordered me to come down from my car. At that time, they asked my niece to lie down. They locked the gate.
What can you say about their identities?
They spoke Pidgin English. But I cannot really say who they were.
How many were they?
They were four in number.
How did you escape from them unhurt?
They shot my carburetor, but I didn’t come out. I tried to move and manoeuvre the car. So, I managed to come out and scaled the fence. My nephew also escaped with me. I ran to the expressway and met a guy. He said they heard gunshots.
After that time, people called the police and vigilantes. By the time the police came with me, the criminals had left. The police officers came from the State Criminal Investigation Department and took a report.
How did your wife and other family members react in the house?
My wife and my elder sister were in the house watching the CCTV. They only panicked because they were helpless.
Have you heard about these kidnap cases before you almost fell victim?
Very well; some of my friends were abducted and we had to pay ransoms before they could be freed. There was a time, after we paid a ransom for a friend, the kidnappers said I was the next. There was a particular one that they said I should bring the ransom to them when one of my friends was captured. After being told, I left my former area for a new place.
How did they send you the message that you were the next?
They called me during the process of negotiating a ransom with them for a friend. But I didn’t take the money to them. It was one of my brothers that took the money to them.
How much did they collect as ransom for your friend?
They collected N3.5m.
With the cases of kidnap and attempted ones in the area, what have the residents done to address the situation?
At this juncture, I can only beg the police and the government to come to our aid. People have been abandoning the community. They are leaving the place because of these kidnap incidents. We’re living in fear every day. The community is not safe.
The criminals just kidnap innocent people and go scot-free. They kill people in their houses. There was a time when two students were killed. The elders could not do something about it. All I know is that the community is not safe.
How many families can you say that have moved out of the community?
If I’m not mistaken, many people numbering 30 families have packed out from the community. They have kidnapped about eight people that I know before they attempted to have me. I was the only person that they couldn’t abduct.
What do you think is the cause of this?
Many people have access to weapons, which is worrisome. The authorities should take action.
