Three victims who escaped from the captors of Benue State-owned transport company vehicle, Benue Links, have narrated their ordeals.
The escapees, two male and a female, were among 18 other passengers when the gunmen accosted the bus they were travelling on the Naka-Makurdi road in the state.
A female victim, simply identified as Blessing, explained that the incident happened at about 3pm on Thursday.
She said, “The kidnappers stopped the vehicle. We had passed a soldier’s spot and got to their own spot. We thought they were soldiers. They were wearing army uniforms and wielding guns. They were up to 15 in number. I escaped in the night. I slept in the bush that night.
“On Sunday I came out, went to the park and arrived here in the evening. I was coming from Otukpo to Makurdi en-route to Abuja. They made us walk for over 40 minutes and kept changing locations. They spoke in English and the local dialect and Hausa. They were not masked. It was around midnight that I sneaked out of the line and escaped.”
Another victim, a male who didn’t disclose his name, said, “Before now, people thought these kidnappings were propaganda when former Governor Samuel Ortom used to shout. This was what he tried to avoid. I think the present government should continue from where he stopped.
“Nobody is safe in this state. The security men heard gunshots but could not come because they needed to get signal. We need a security team that will be proactive.”
Also, Raymond Lubem Mbabov, the third victim, explained that, “On Thursday, I was coming back after attending a Chinese exhibition in Lagos. I usually travel by air but due to the cost, I decided to go by road. We got to Taraku and the driver had to transfer us to a Benue Links bus. I am not familiar with the road and one or two persons complained that the road was bad, with lots of potholes.
“It was a lonely road but the driver insisted that it was shorter. Just shortly after a military check point, we saw a group of people with torchlights speaking Fulani and passive English. They were very aggressive, breaking windows of the vehicle, and said if we did not come down, they would spray us.
“The first person they identified was me. I was holding two phones and a power bank. We were 18 in number and they lined us in a straight file. As they were taking us to wherever they wanted, I had already made up my mind to run. I was ready to bear the consequences. I ran off with four others going in different directions.
“They did not bother to go after us but concentrated on the remaining ones. I went into the bush and observed that the military were riding on bikes and shooting into the air to where the Benue Links vehicle was parked. I did not leave the rice farm I was on. I later went to the military point and explained myself and asked them to try and rescue the others.”
