An Abuja-based lawyer, Opeyemi Adewale, has recounted her ordeal in the hands of suspected kidnappers who abducted her in the Federal Capital Territory on September 26, 2023.
Adewale said that her husband and colleagues parted with N1m before she was released.
She said her ordeal started when she boarded a 14-seater bus on the evening of September 26 at a park in Lugbe not knowing that it was a “one-chance” bus.
The lawyer said she realised that she was in trouble when, six minutes into the trip, the man who sat beside her started attacking her.
She said it was at that point that she realised that out of all the occupants of the bus, only she and two other women were real passengers while others were members of the gang.
She explained, “They started beating me and the other two ladies in the vehicle. When they were done, they asked what I do for a living, I lied that I was a teacher that just resigned. They asked how much I earned, I said it was less than N30,000. Then they asked about my husband, I said he too is a poor trader.
“They checked my bag, saw my ATM card, and requested my PIN. They emptied my account, collected all the cash on me and asked me to call my family that they were taking us to Kaduna and that one Alhaji was going to use us for a ritual but if we could call someone to pay a ransom of N1m they would release us.”
She said as she was making attempts to speak with her family members to raise funds for her release, her abductors kept driving around the city.
According to her, around midnight, her husband and colleagues were able to raise funds that were sent to the robbers before she was released.
Adewale added that the money that was sent for her release was paid into her account while the robbers withdrew the money from a POS operator.
Contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said concerted efforts were being put in motion to end the activities of kidnappers and “one-chance” operators in the capital city.
“If we tell you what we are doing now, the goal will be defeated but I can tell you that we are working on it,” she said.