- NYSC member abducted along the Benin-Ore Expressway.
- Kidnappers demanded ransom and threatened forced marriage.
- An abductor stole and wore her NYSC uniform.
A National Youth Service Corps member, Rofiat Lawal, was abducted last Tuesday along the Benin-Ore Expressway.
In an exclusive account of her ordeal, she revealed that one of her kidnappers threatened to force her into marriage and take her to Sokoto if her family failed to pay the ransom.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- 45% of Nigerian Girls Become Mothers Before 18 — World Bank
- ECOWAS Faces Historic Defection as Three West African Nations Withdraw
- Netanyahu to Meet Trump at White House Next Week
She also noted that one of the Fulani abductors even removed her NYSC uniform and wore it.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that Rofiat was intercepted on her journey from Edo State to her primary assignment in Oyo State. Initially, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N20 million, but after prolonged negotiations, they reduced their demand to N5 million.
A friend of hers, known as Agbakwara, raised the alarm about her disappearance on Facebook. He later explained that her release came after her family paid a ransom of N1.1 million, which was transferred to an account said to belong to a family of another victim.
In her detailed recount, Rofiat described how the kidnappers ambushed the vehicle along the Ore stretch of the expressway. Out of ten passengers, six were forcibly removed and taken into a nearby bush. During the abduction, the kidnappers confiscated valuables from everyone—including cash, mobile phones, and even her NYSC uniform, which one of them put on.
Rofiat recalled that the first day, the captives were forced to trek for seven hours before they could rest. “While traveling from Benin to Ore, our vehicle was suddenly halted by gunfire. I saw three armed men at the front and three at the back. Although the driver tried to escape, we were ordered to lie down, and six of us were taken,” she said.
The kidnappers then searched the victims and collected their money; for example, some marketwomen had amounts ranging between N600,000 and N1.2 million taken from them, while Rofiat herself lost N15,000.
Over the following four days, the group was made to trek through the bush from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., with intermittent stops during the day. During this period, other abductees mostly older individuals and traders, were beaten repeatedly.
FURTHER READING
- Davido Calls Out Osun Commissioner of Police Over Alleged Role in State Crisis
- Ned Nwoko Breaks Silence on Fathering New Child, Plans to Marry Chika Ike as Seventh Wife
- Nigeria Seeks Liberal Visa Support for Business Expansion in Foreign Countries
Although Rofiat was not physically tortured to the extent of others, she confirmed that one kidnapper had threatened to marry her and transport her to Sokoto if her family did not pay up. She stressed that the abductors were primarily interested in extracting money and did not differentiate between corps members and non-members, noting that she was the youngest among them.
Rofiat also mentioned that ransom amounts varied among the kidnapped individuals, with figures ranging from N2 million to N3 million depending on family negotiations. When asked about food during their captivity, she explained that the kidnappers were prepared with a cooler stocked with garri, which they provided on several occasions.
Finally, she has urged the NYSC to grant her a period of rest and proper medical attention to help her recover from the traumatic experience. Despite everything that transpired, she expressed no regret over joining the corps and thanked her family for raising the ransom and securing her release.
Watch Our Video Of The Week
