Lagos-Ibadan Highway Kidnap: Our abductors were Fulani-Hausa, but spoke Yoruba too, say victims

Lagos-Ibadan Highway Kidnap: Our abductors were Fulani-Hausa, but spoke Yoruba too, say victims

Kidnappers were about 35, dressed in military, police uniforms

By Jide Alo

Two of the over 20 people kidnapped on Lagos-Ibadan highway at the weekend have said that their abductors were of Fulani or Hausa origin but that they spoke Yoruba fluently.

Abayomi Adeoti, 46 who was one of those kidnapped said the kidnappers were about 35 and were dressed in military uniforms. ‘The average age was 16 years. They were all armed. No doubt they were Fulani. I know such people when I see  them. They spoke Hausa fluently and also spoke Yoruba,’ Adeoti who escaped from the kidnappers told Irohinoodua on Tuesday. He said over 20 people were abducted at on the Lagos-Ibadan highway and that two children were among the victims. He said some of the victims were shot dead in the bush.

‘I saw they shot two people dead, an old man and another young  woman. They were accused of trying to escape. When I saw this, I knew that escape would be met with death penalty. I took my time very well. I told myself it was either I seize one of their guns and fight back or I escape without any prospect of me being shot.’ He said the opportunity came when one of they were shooting at a second set of people who wanted to escape. “In the confusion, I fell down as if shot and then rolled down the slop before escaping with high speed in a zig-zag manner,’ Adeoti said. He lamented that though Amotekun was doing a good job but that it appears they go to sleep in the nights while the Lagos-Ibadan highway is free from policing by the concerned state governors.

In a related development Aminat Taiwo whose family paid more than 3million as ransom said her kidnappers were Hausa though spoke Yoruba. She said ‘Some people who wanted to escape were hit by bullets. It was terrible and not a good experience at all, but all thanks to God.’

According to her “the incident happened around 5 pm on Friday. She said she was coming from Abeokuta to attend a friend’s wedding in Ibadan when we were attacked. We boarded a Sienna space van from Panseke Park; we were eight in the vehicle. Our vehicle passed through the Isiun-Ogere road to link the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Taiwo said in an interview with The Punch newspapers “Three of us from our vehicle were kidnapped, the other victims were from other vehicles. Many people fell victim. Some people in their private cars were also attacked and some people escaped in the midnight when we were being taken into a deep forest.

According to her, the kidnappers were more than 30, they covered their faces. They wore soldiers and police uniforms.”

She said they were “armed to the teeth; they have guns, swords, knives and other dangerous weapons. On our way, they asked us to lie down. They collected all our money and phones. They collected gold chains, wristwatches, and other pieces of jewellery.We were moving in the bush for several hours; they did not give us water or food. We were licking water on leaves inside the forest.

For the two days I spent with them, we were moving around the forest, we don’t stay too long in one place before they move us to another place.They did not have a house or anywhere to hide us. We sleep wherever the night meets us; we were sleeping inside the forest for two days. Some of us will sleep on trees, while others will sleep on the grass.”