One of the 16 kidnap victims rescued in Kogi State, Victor Anyichie, has recounted how the abductors allegedly beat him almost to d3ath after he told them that his family could only afford N500,000 ransom ransom.
LIB reported that Anyichie and the other victims were abducted last Sunday when armed men attacked commuters along the Ojuwo-Ajengo-Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads in Ofu Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were rescued on Monday during a joint operation involving the Nigerian Army, Navy, police and local vigilantes along the Ajaokuta-Anyigba road in Ofu
Speaking at the Kogi State Police Command headquarters after his release, Anyichie said the kidnappers demanded varying amounts of ransom from the victims, ranging from N2 million to N100 million.
He said he became the target of the abductors’ anger after telling them that his family could only raise N500,000.
“I happened to be the only one who collected every beating of my life in their hands. They would say, ‘You, N70 million; you, N100 million; you, N50 million; and children, N2 million.’
“I told them my people could only raise N500,000. Suddenly, they descended on me, beating me mercilessly. Those goons really beat the life out of me.
“I was lucky I survived it. If not for the grace of God, they could have gone further, which might have resulted in something else,” he said.
Anyichie said he noticed some members of the gang in a red Toyota Yaris posing as passengers shortly before the attack.
He said the vehicle overtook their bus and blocked its path after their driver failed to respond to a signal from another vehicle to move ahead.
“Our driver tried to enter the bush, but unfortunately, six of them emerged, shooting sporadically. Their leader had an AK-47, another carried a pump-action rifle, while the third had a pistol,” he said.
According to him, the kidnappers constantly moved the victims from one location to another and appeared to have informants monitoring their movements.
He said the abductors had taken them back to the location where they were initially captured when security operatives engaged them in a gun battle.
