Iorliam, is a graduate of English Language from the Benue State University (BSU) deployed to Kebbi State, was among six persons that were kidnapped in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State on the 19th of October, 2021 by armed bandits.
They were released after spending eight days in the den of kidnappers, but not without the payment of heavy ransom and serious torture.
Speaking on an interview, distressed but elated Iorliam who has now been deployed back to Benue State narrated her ordeal in the forest and how she and the other victims were finally released.
How it all happened
On October 19, on our way to Kebbi where we were posted, we were kidnapped at Zamfara State. When our vehicle got to that spot, we saw some persons wearing military uniforms and I thought they were soldiers. They started shooting and ordered us to come down and we did. They pushed us into the bush. Some of us thought they were going to rob us and allow us to go. While in the bush, they asked us to lie down.
Journey into the kidnappers’ den
After a while, they asked us to get up. They started dragging us inside the bush. It was a very long journey. When we got deep inside the bush, they now brought some motorcycles to pick us farther into the forest. It was as if we were just driving round and round because the place they were taking us was very far. So, we drove to a point that we saw a river and they asked us to come down. At that point, we thought maybe they were going to kill us and dump our corpses inside the river. I couldn’t recall the time but it was already very dark at that time and we had been with our abductors for some hours. We came down from the motorcycles and stood there for a while. Then they ordered us to start crossing the stream. So, they held our hands and were dragging us inside the river. When we got to the other end, they now brought their bikes again and picked us. We continued the journey till they got to their destination. When we arrived there, we saw some other persons that had also been kidnapped. The victims were many. Some had children and some were children themselves. We arrived there late in the night and we saw these kidnapped persons sleeping and they covered their faces. The place was on a hill. We later got to know that we were kidnapped in Tsafe Local Government area of Zamfara and were taken to Gusau, the state capital. When we got there, they asked us to go and sit where their other victims were and we did. Some of our abductors left while other stayed behind to keep guard. That night, they did not give us any food. The next day, they gave us bread but some of us refused to eat till the next day again. When they saw that we weren’t eating, they pointed their guns at us and forced us to eat the bread, threatening to kill us if we did not eat. So we ate the bread.
First contact with our families
Two days after we were abducted, they brought us back to a network area so that they could contact our people to inform them about what happened to us. Even the place that they were bringing us to was a very distant place. When we got there, we called our people and informed them about what happened. They now asked our people to bring money, otherwise they would marry us off or better still, kill us in the bush and that our corpses would never be found. Our parents now assured them that they would get the money that they were demanding, but that they should not harm us. Our parents negotiated with them on the money to be paid. That day, we slept at the network area and the next day, they took us back into their hideout. They gave our parents up till Monday to get the ransom money in cash. So, that Monday, they now brought us back to network area again and negotiations continued. Then they said they must pay for all six of us that were kidnapped from the bus. Eight of us were initially kidnapped, but two escaped. So, six of us were left with them. That Monday, they couldn’t get what they wanted because they were asking for a huge sum of money and our parents couldn’t meet that demand. So, we had to sleep there again till Tuesday when our people brought the money in cash to Zamfara.
All together, we spent eight days with the kidnappers. We were kidnapped on Tuesday, October 19 and released on Tuesday, October 26. For those eight days, we didn’t bathe and we were drinking from stagnant water, though they gave us sachet water a few times. We ate bread all through except one day that they gave us noodles to eat.
How the ransom money was paid
The money was paid in cash. When they knew that they were bringing the money, they took us to another hill and were showing us the road, though, it was still far. So, when they called that they were bringing the money, the kidnappers now asked two people among them to bring the money to them where they were. They asked the two ransom bearers to identify themselves by the colour of the shirts they were wearing. They now brought us closer again. They did not take us to where they were going to collect the money. Some of them went to meet our ransom bearers to collect the money while the others kept watch over us. After they collected the money and confirmed that it was complete, they now asked the ones guarding us to bring us and hand us over to our people.
Our abductors took pictures with us
When they were sure that the ransom money had been brought, those who were left to guard us were so happy that they started taking pictures with us without covering their faces. They gleefully asked us to post the pictures on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook and wherever we wanted. They are very proud of what they do.
Yes, they were hard on us
Yes, they were hard, especially when they insisted that ransom money for all six of us must be paid before we would be released. Some of us were lucky that they didn’t touch us. But the guys among us suffered the most. Three males and three females were kidnapped from our bus. There was one Hausa man who was kidnapped with us in our bus. He acted as the interpreter between us and them but he was the most tortured because his people couldn’t pay his ransom money. Some of our abductors looked like Fulani.
I never had any premonition
I never dreamt or had any premonition that this was going to happen to me. Since returning home, I haven’t been able to sleep well. The trauma is simply out of this world for me right now. Sometimes, I would not even sleep at all. While at the kidnappers’ den, at a point, I felt maybe that was going to be the end for my life, especially the day I had fever. You know, we were kept in the open and it rained that day and there was so much cold, so I caught fever and I thought I was going to die. I told God that even if I was paying for the sins of others, I think I had paid enough. So, I begged God that if He was going to do something, He should please make it fast. Or that if our abductors were going to kill us, they should make it fast rather than leave us to suffer like that.
Community of kidnappers
The place we were taken to was deep inside the bush and there were no houses close to that area at all. The place is surrounded by hills. It was when they were bringing us out to look for network that we would pass some houses and you could see a gathering of people too. You see shops and people playing draft as we passed by, but nobody could question our abductors. The people would even greet our kidnappers and they respected them a lot. From what we saw, they are not the only kidnap group in that community because when we were going to look for network, we saw some other people in military uniforms with guns moving freely in that community.
Initially, I thought they were real soldiers and that they had come to rescue us but I was shocked when they greeted themselves warmly and went their separate ways. I think it’s a community of bandits because the group that kidnapped us was different. When we were going to look for network, there were other groups that were bringing some persons that they had kidnapped too. So, I’m thinking that is what the whole of that community does and there’s nobody to challenge them.
My redeployment
I have been redeployed to Benue State. NYSC played the role of redeploying us to Benue State and nothing more to my knowledge. My batch is still at the orientation camp but because I need time to heal from the trauma I went through, that’s why I’m home right now.
Gratitude
I want to thank the Samuel Ortom led Benue State Government who contributed a lot to ensure our release. Also, my thanks goes to the parents of all of us that were kidnapped who also gathered some money to ensure that we were released. I also commend the two ransom-bearers that risked their lives to go into the bush to deliver the ransom to the kidnappers. In fact, one of the two ransom-bearers had no reason to risk his life for us because his brother was one of the two who had already escaped while we were being taken away. He knew that his brother had already escaped that very night that we were kidnapped, yet he risked his life to ensure our release. Most especially, I thank God for sparing our lives because it wasn’t all about the money. Some people were kidnapped, ransom was paid, yet they have not been set free. But in our own case, we were set free and I know God did it for us. Some of those abductees that we met there were still being held hostage when we left. We met them there and we still left them there.
Amount paid as ransom
I wouldn’t know because I wasn’t there. But it ran into millions.
Advice to government
My advice to the Federal Government is that there’s need to tighten security in the country, because if we could be abducted around 6pm when it was not dark yet, then what will happen to people who travel in the night?
Change of philosophy
If I am asked to go up north again, will I ever go there? No, I won’t. I can go to Nasarawa but up north, I will never. What if my husband is from that side? No. My husband cannot come from that side.
