A rescued National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, David Ayodele, has recounted how kidnappers allegedly flogged and kicked him and other victims after abducting them in Kogi State.
Ayodele said the kidnappers threatened to keep the victims in a forest for one month before killing them.
He spoke in a viral video obtained after security operatives rescued 21 abducted persons from a kidnappers’ hideout in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The rescued group comprised 15 NYSC members and six other victims.
How the corps members were abducted
Ayodele said he had completed his NYSC orientation programme in Bayelsa State and was travelling to Abuja after being relocated.
According to him, corps members were transported in organised vehicles to different destinations when he joined a vehicle heading to Abuja.
He said the journey changed when gunmen emerged from the bush and intercepted their vehicle along the road.
Ayodele explained that the driver initially attempted to escape, but the attackers forced the passengers out of the vehicle and marched them into the forest.
He said the kidnappers fired shots into the air while directing the victims into the bush.
‘They flogged and kicked us’
The NYSC member said the victims were subjected to physical abuse as they were taken deeper into the forest.
He recalled that the abductors flogged and kicked the victims while shouting at them.
After reaching a bushy area, the kidnappers reportedly ordered the victims to sit down and asked who wanted water.
Ayodele said the abductors then threatened to keep them in the forest for one month and kill them.
He added that the victims were warned not to move without permission, as anyone who disobeyed could be shot.
According to him, the threat created fear among the victims and prevented them from attempting to escape.
‘Thank God the Nigerian Army came’
Ayodele said the abductees were moved through the forest for a long distance before security forces eventually located and rescued them.
He expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Army and other security agencies involved in the operation.
The rescued corps member also commended the police, Department of State Services (DSS) and local hunters for their role in securing the victims’ freedom.
15 NYSC members, six others rescued
President Bola Tinubu had on Monday announced the rescue of all 15 NYSC members and six other people abducted in Kogi State.
Tinubu said a combined team comprising military personnel, police officers, DSS operatives and local vigilantes carried out the rescue operation in the forests of Ofu Local Government Area.
The President said the 21 victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued from the kidnappers’ den.
He added that the victims were receiving medical attention before being reunited with their families.
Tinubu also said security forces were continuing efforts to track down the kidnappers responsible for the abduction.
Previous attacks raise security concerns
The latest incident is among several kidnapping cases recorded in Kogi State in recent months.
On August 9, 16 people were abducted along roads in Ofu Local Government Area. The Nigerian Army later announced that the victims had been rescued following an encounter between troops and the kidnappers.
Similarly, on July 16, the Kogi State Government announced the rescue of a school principal, a National Examinations Council (NECO) official and two students who were abducted during an attack on an examination centre in Olowa, Dekina Local Government Area.
The repeated attacks have heightened concerns about the use of highways and forest corridors in Kogi State by criminal groups to abduct travellers and evade security agencies.
Ayodele’s account provides a first-hand description of the conditions endured by some of the victims before security forces rescued them.
