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ONDO: I saw hell in kidnapers’ den — Female student narrates ordeal

A student at the Ondo State-owned Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo, Odey Olayemi, has described her trauma in a kidnappers’ den after spending seven days in captivity.

Ode (23) talked to newsmen at the Ondo State Network Security Agency (Amotekun) office in Akure after a N350,000 ransom was paid to ensure her release from her kidnappers.

The victim, who stated that she was kidnapped while on her way to farm in Ago-Oyinbo village in Akure North LGA, said she went through hell at the hands of her kidnappers.

She said, “I was in the village to help my sisters before our resumption date to get some funds back to school, but on that fateful day, we were at the farm and we saw three men heading our way.

“I told my sisters that I was going to run but they said I shouldn’t go anywhere and that they were not going to do anything. When they got to us, they asked us to kneel and we obeyed them.

“At that moment, we started begging them. Two of them were with guns and the third one was with a cutlass. They asked me to stop following them and they picked a cassava stick and began to beat me.”

Odey said that the kidnappers threatened to kill her if she did not cooperate with them when demanding ransom.

She narrated that, “I spent seven days with them and they asked for my dad’s mobile number but I did not know it off-hand. I lost my memory because of the tension.

“But when I gave them my number, they began to call my phone. It rang but nobody picked it up. Later, one of my sisters that came from Akure to our village picked up the call and she was informed that I’d been kidnapped and I’m with them.

“It was my sister that went to report before the Amotekun swung into action and the community raised N350,000 before I was released following a manhunt by the corps.”

Speaking on the incidence, Amotekun Commander in the state, Adetunji Adeleye, said the operatives of the corps were able to rescue the victim following a manhunt.

Adeleye said his men had to cross a river through a forest to apprehend the suspects and that some other victims who were abducted by the kidnappers were also rescued.

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