Kubwa Kidnap: Relative Reveals Police Angry Over Release Of Victims Despite Failing To Help

A relative of one of the persons kidnapped last week Tuesday from the Kubwa Extension II Relocation Estate in Kubwa, Abuja, has accused the FCT police of showing “zero interest” in helping the affected families rescue their loved ones from their captors.

The relative who declined to be mentioned told THE WHISTLER on Tuesday that despite leaving the abductees to their fate, the police were angry at the affected families for negotiating the release of their loved ones with the kidnappers.

This website reported that the captors demanded N100 million for each of their victims.

But contrary to earlier reports that 11 people were kidnapped during the incident, the family member told our correspondent that only four persons were abducted. The chairman of the estate had told this website that the abducted persons numbered eleven.

Out of the four persons originally kidnapped, one ‘Oshodi’, a poultry rarer, was shot dead for refusing to follow the captors while another victim, a POS operator, escaped while being taken into the bushes. The kidnappers subsequently succeeded in taking away two persons – one Pastor Timothy and a former female corps member identified as Adenike.

According to the source, a fifth person (a Tailor) that almost got kidnapped was shot and eventually died at the hospital.

Speaking to our correspondent on how Adenike and Pastor Timothy were rescued, the relative said the families paid an undisclosed amount of ransom to the abductors after long hours of negotiation.

“Adenike was the first person the kidnappers picked. Although the initial operation wasn’t to kidnap because they came for someone, the attempt failed and they took to the street to abduct people. According to Adenike, Oshodi, the POS guy, pastor Timothy and herself were the people that were picked. The POS guy had erroneously counted abductors among the persons kidnapped.

“Oshodi who was shot dead was picked up on the street before they shot him because he refused to go with them, while the Tailor was shot in the house and left there before he was taken to the hospital but unfortunately, he died.

“After the POS guy escaped, it was Adenike and the pastor they went away with successfully, and no other person. They would have been released on Saturday but due to unforeseen circumstances, it was pushed to Sunday evening.”

Asked about the role played by the police in the rescue of Adenike, the relative said “About Adenike’s release, police didn’t negotiate on our behalf, I did it by myself, I was the one that dropped the money for the ransom to secure her release.

“Even though the police were angry but we did it because they showed zero interest to help even after we supplied them with information, we didn’t get any feedback from them. Mind you, I gave the number the kidnappers used in calling but the police yet nothing came out of it, that was why we decided to take it up by ourselves.

“Three men from State CID who came a day after the incident happened, and also got the number of the assailants and they were no follow-ups at all, it was after the news of Adenike’s release came out that the Byazhin DPO called for an update.”

‘WE THOUGHT THEY WERE SECURITY MEN’ – POS Operator

Also speaking to THE WHISTLER, the POS operator who escaped while being taken to the bushes narrated what transpired on the night he was kidnapped.

“I was on my way home with one of my uncles and one other guy, and three of us decided to trek home. On getting to a junction close to my house, we saw two men with guns, we thought they were security men because they were dressed in black jackets, face caps, and nose masks, but they ambushed us and said we should shut up and start going

“At first I thought maybe something was happening in the area and they just wanted us to be safe. We were three in number and we were told to start going and they followed us. One of us escaped, I and my uncle (Pastor Timothy) were left with them. So, when I wanted to turn to my street (Amilomania street) they said I should keep going straight, that was when it dawned on me say na ‘them’.

“So, they pushed my uncle and I into a very dark compound, and when I entered the compound, they were about seven other captives with gunmen inside. When the two of us joined them, they started beating everybody, saying we should stand up and start going to the mountain.

“I was with some money, immediately I saw a hole in the floor and dropped it in there and my phone was in my pocket.

Continuing further, he said “as we were climbing the mountain, something just said I should look up, I saw darkness because everywhere is bushy. So, I said to myself, ‘if I enter that place, I doubt if I will come out alive, just try and run’ even though I was not feeling fine.

“I don’t know when I started running, luckily for me, I was not followed by the one that has a gun, but the one with a sword.

“The area is a slope, and as I was running, he was running after me, I continued even as I fell down multiple times.

“I got to a fence but before I could jump, the guy caught up with me and started beating me with his machete. I started begging that I will follow him back and he continued to beat me with his long machete.

“Suddenly, we heard a gunshot, I guess that was when they shot Oshodi, so the gunshot distracted him, as he tried to inquire what was going on in Hausa, I noticed that he wasn’t paying attention to me and I jumped the fence.

“He could have followed me or even stab me when he was beating me. When I looked back and didn’t see him, I thanked God.

“My uncle is still with them, he is 58 years old, he is an assistant pastor in House of David, there is another lady abducted, her name is Nike, they have a shop there.

Describing the gunmen he said, “they are huge o! They are not boys, they are men, dressed in black jackets, jeans, and boots. Also, they all wore face caps with nose masks. That’s to say they didn’t come to joke. Four of them were armed with guns while about three had machetes and swords.

“I was taken to the station that same day after they have gone, and later went back to take my money, the police saw my phone on the floor and luckily I got my phone back,” he added.