Former council chairman of Ogbadibo local government area of Benue State, Adoyi Omale has revealed that his family parted with the sum of N2million before he regained freedom from his abductors.
Adoyi was kidnapped by gunmen with full military regalia at Ajaokuta, Kogi State, at about 2pm on Monday, December 12, while travelling from Abuja to his country home, Owukpa in Benue State.
Though they were five occupants of the car, it was only Adoyi that the gunmen whisked away, leaving the remaining four co-travelers and his car by the main road.
He was however freed on Thursday, 15th December, after a ransom was paid by the family.
Narrating his ordeal in Abuja yesterday, the former council boss said it was the most terrible part of his life and he wished that even his enemies should not experience it.
“I ran into a terrorist group at Ajaokuta, they looked like Fulani herdsmen or Boko Haram, and I was taken for four days. It was gruesome, without water, without food. We trekked more than 100 kilometres, for the four days I spent in the forest, we were always trekking.
“It’s not everyone who passes through such rigorous and traumatic experience that could come back alive. I now know why the kidnapped Rev. Fr. John Adeyi died in kidnappers’ custody.
“We were in a thick forest, following dried water channels, rocks, mountains, valleys, in fact, it was only God that delivered me, just like he delivered Jonah from the mouth of fish and Daniel from the Lion’s den.
“I am happy that my family was able to raise the ransom money and I was set free, after four days”, Adoyi said.
Adoyi also disclosed that his abductors, most of whom were Fulanis, also have intelligent personnel among them who always carry laptop computers and other digital gadgets.
“I was surprised when one of them broke into my phones without me giving him my passwords, and he perused through all my contacts, chats and even Facebook posts on my wall, to see my stands on religious issues”, he revealed.
Source: Leadership
