Four victims rescued by the Imo State Police’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit have shared their terrifying ordeal after being abducted by gunmen in the state.
The victims, Mrs. Carolyn Didia, Mrs. Ego Odu, Mrs. Apollonia Ezekwe, and Mr. Godwin Ezekwe, were traveling to a wedding when they were ambushed on the Obosima-Ohoba road in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area on Friday evening.
According to Godwin Ezekwe, the kidnappers fired at their vehicle, forcing the driver to stop. The driver attempted to flee but was caught and macheted. The abductors then took the victims deep into the bush, where they were beaten and forced to contact their families for ransom.
“We trekked from 6 pm until 3 am and continued walking until 12 am the next day,” Ezekwe said. The victims were held in the bush, with the kidnappers demanding N150 million for their release.
Odu, another victim, described being beaten and forced to walk long distances in unfamiliar terrain. “They just kept walking us through the bush,” she said.
The victims were rescued after a gunfight between the kidnappers and hunters, with two suspects killed in the process. The police recovered an AK-47 rifle, ammunition, and a magazine during the operation.