On Saturday, the Imo State Police Command Anti-Kidnapping Unit rescued four kidnapping victims, shedding light on the horrific treatment they endured during their captivity.
Mrs. Carolyn Didia, Mrs. Ego Odu, Mrs. Apollonia Ezekwe, and Mr. Godwin Ezekwe were traveling together when they became victims of a violent abduction.
The incident unfolded on the Obosima-Ohoba road in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area, where the group was ambushed while on their way to Owerri for a wedding.
The kidnappers, armed and ruthless, first fired on the vehicle, forcing the driver to halt. Despite a desperate attempt to flee, the driver was caught and severely injured by machetes.
Godwin Ezekwe, a computer system merchant based in Lagos, detailed the terrifying events.
“We were ambushed on our way to a family wedding. The gunmen shot at our vehicle, then blocked our path ahead.
After our driver fled, they chased him down, captured him, and brutally attacked him with machetes,” Ezekwe explained.
The kidnappers spared two elderly women but took the remaining four victims into the dense forest, trekking them for hours, starting at around 6 PM.
“We walked through the night, exhausted and terrified, until 3 AM,” Ezekwe recalled.
By morning, the victims were forced to make another arduous journey until a hunter stumbled upon them, setting off a chain of events that led to their rescue.
The kidnappers cruelly beat their captives, demanding an outrageous ransom of N150 million.
“They forced us to call our families and tell them where we were and the ransom they demanded,” said Ezekwe.
“At times, we were left in remote areas, trying to survive while the kidnappers rested.”
As the kidnappers were eventually tracked by a group of hunters, the situation turned violent.
Ezekwe was shot in both legs, and as the hunters closed in, the captives were rescued and taken to safety, receiving medical attention for their injuries.
The Imo State Police Command acted swiftly following the rescue.
In a statement, they confirmed that the kidnappers were confronted in a gunfight that resulted in the death of two suspects.
Police also recovered an AK-47 rifle, 21 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, and a magazine during the operation.
Mrs. Ego Odu, another survivor, shared her painful experience: “They forced us out of the vehicle and beat us severely.
We were disoriented and had no idea where we were being taken, only that we were walking endlessly through the night until rescue came.”
Mrs. Carolyn Didia also reflected on the trauma, describing how the group was moved from one location to another under constant threat.
We were subjected to long, grueling walks, and the kidnappers made sure we could escape,” she said.
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