The kidnapped Chief Imam of Yangoji Central Mosque in Kwali Area Council of Abuja, has recounted his ordeal in the hands of his abductors.
Abdullahi Abubakar Gbedako, who was abducted at alongside his son, spent three weeks in the hands of his kidnappers and was released after a N5 million ransom.
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While lamenting his ordeal during an interview with our correspondent, the Imam, who is also the vice principal of GJSS Kwaita, said he and his son really suffered.
He said that he and his two sons stayed in a forest for four days before the kidnappers ordered him to continue trekking till they arrived at their abductors’ camps after nine days.
Gbedako said, “It was even before crossing a big river that a snake bite one of my sons and I had to carry him on my back to cross the river before he later managed to escape some days when we arrived at their camp.”
According to him, the kidnappers tied their hands and legs, and covered their faces with veil during daytime but unmasked them at night.
He said he had to order his family to sell his car including that of his brother at the village as well as to obtain a loan of N1.5 million to raise the ransom.
“And even as I am talking to you right now, I don’t have any property on ground again even though, I thank God for sparing my life and that of my son,” he said.
“It’s quite unfortunate that the kidnappers are all underage boys between 17 to 19 years. And their major weapons are network and the guns they are carrying, which I believe our security can easily locate their hideout and bombard them.”
He said after the kidnappers invaded his house and was leading him and his two sons into the bush, one of the kidnappers asked how many numbers of Qur’an he has in house, and replied that everyone has Qur’an in his house.
“It was after that one of them asked me again who is the chief imam, in which I now told him that I’m the imam.
“He now said since I’m the chief imam, I should bring N10 million so that I will go back home but I told him that I don’t have even N1 million with me,” he said.
However, the chief imam appealed to the government to come to his aid by support him in order to start a new life.
