Adebayo Adenrele
Sunday Emmanuel, the driver of an Ado-Ekiti bound 18-passenger bus, alondside his passengers have finally regained freedom after being held captive by gun-welding bandits.
The kidnappers ambushed the bus on Sunday night at the Emure-Ekiti axis, abducting all passengers on board except for two who managed to escape during the ordeal.
Narrating his ordeal, Emmanuel recounted that the incident occurred very close to Emure-Ekiti shortly after he left Eporo-Ekiti while returning from Onitsha.
He revealed that he was released at the early hours of Christmas day, following a ransom payment of N1.5 million while other passengers reportedly paid ransoms ranging from N1 million to N2 million.
Emmanuel stated that they were fed only with Garri mixed with red oil and water for several days by three heavily armed bandits, who he noted appeared to be familiar with the local area.
He emphasized that they were not subjected to torture, aside from the bruises sustained while being herded through the bush.
Emmanuel confirmed that all the passengers, including a woman and a female corps member, have also regained their freedom.
His words, “The Police went to the Bus stationed to retrieve the luggage of passengers and brought them to Ado. The bandits didn’t touch any of those luggage.
“They left us in Ago Paanu in Owo area, Ikare Road. We don’t actually know the name of the place, it was the people who lives there came out to talk to us.
“We trekked the bush from Emure. We were trekked through the nights and once it is 5am, we would stop to take a nap.
“There were two women among us including a female corps member but they were not touched.
“The kidnappers told us they came from Niger Republic. They know all those bushes because we were passing through where cattle are usually herded.
“They are just three men but the machine guns in their hands can’t be dared. They told us that we can only get those weapons from soldiers alone and they have massive extra bullets.
“They don’t eat with us but what we discovered is that one of them would go out to get something. They usually mixed Garri with red oil and we would eat it.
“They took N1.5m from me. Some paid 1m, 2m, 1.45m. They did not harm anybody among us except some bruises we sustained while passing through the bush.
“They kidnapped us in Emure-Ekiti. We have left Eporo, we were about to enter Emure-Ekiti town when the incident occurred.
“It was after five minutes after we left check point that it happened. Even soldiers at the road block not far from where we were kidnapped can not deny that they didn’t hear the gunshots”.