We saw hell in bandits’ den — Benue doctor

A medical doctor with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi, Benue State, Etito Obadiah, has narrated his ordeal in captivity after being kidnapped by gunmen.

Obadiah was rescued on Monday by the police who traced the abductors to their hideout in Gaya village of Utange Ward in Katsina-Ala LGA of Benue State.

 The doctor narrated his experience to journalists in Makurdi shortly after a news conference by the Commissioner of Police (CP), Julius Alawari, at the command’s headquarters.

 He explained that on May 13, “My boys came and picked me up for work. My wife was going to work and I wanted to travel to Taraba State and return quickly because I had some patients in my hospital, including an Indian, to attend to.

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 “On getting to Zaki-Biam, we missed our way and needed direction. As we turned we saw a motorcycle with three boys; each of them with an AK-47, and two others came again with AK-47s and the next thing we saw five others, also with AK-47s. They pushed my driver out, took my wallet, ID cards and phones. They blindfolded us and drove us more than 20 kilometres. It was around 3pm. Before we knew it, it was night and they dropped us in a place. Two of us were kept in one house and they started beating us.

 “They demanded N40m. When I told them to accept N5m they hit me with an AK-47 on my head.

“Some women we met there had been there for a week or so. By 4am this morning (Monday), we started hearing gunshots and some people were asking, ‘Where is Dr Etito?’ Then I knew it was the police, and that was how they rescued us and we trekked over 10km. After all the beating, I was almost giving up. A policeman had to carry me on his back.

“While we were in captivity, we concluded that no police or soldier could come to that place. We were shocked to see policemen this morning. They shot one of them (gunmen).”