RCCG member pays the abductors of his in-law N2.5m in ransom

Mr. Kehinde Ibiteye said he risked his life in a forest in the FCT’s Bwari area to deliver a N2.5 million ransom to the kidnappers of his brother-in-law, Mr. Kayode Ajayi, and his son, Olawale.

Ibiteye revealed this during a service at the Word of Life Area of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Kubwa, Abuja, where he expressed his gratitude to God for his safe return.

According to the RCCG member, his aunt’s husband was kidnapped along with his son at Ungwan-Fulani, a suburb in Bwari where they live, in the early hours of Aug. 23.

“A member of my family informed me that my aunt’s husband and his 19-year-old son had been kidnapped.

“They were kidnapped in their own home, not on the road. The gunmen, who numbered around 25, broke into the house and abducted the residents. When they couldn’t find anyone, they went to my aunt’s house, forced their way into the house, collected N20,000 in cash and two Android phones, took the food items, and abducted the father and son.

“I immediately dialed his wife’s number, who sobbed as she confirmed the heinous incident.

He explained, “They were kidnapped last week Monday between the hours of 12 a.m. and 1 a.m.”

Ibiteye claimed that her aunt informed her that the local police arrived a few minutes after the kidnapping, but to no avail.

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“And because I am fluent in Hausa and no one else can communicate in the language, I engaged their kidnappers in phone conversations using my aunt’s phone, which they used to call me.

He explained, “At first, they put a N15 million bounty on their heads if we wanted them released.”

He claimed that after further negotiations, the ransom was reduced to N2.5 million.

He claims that the police did little or nothing to help the victims.

“The cops only came to warn us that we shouldn’t give money to terrorists and that we shouldn’t be in charge.

“They have a general lackadaisical attitude toward the whole thing; they weren’t forthcoming. He admitted, “I didn’t even take them seriously.”

He claimed that after the money was raised, their kidnappers instructed that it be taken to a hilly forest near the village of Kuchikwo in Bwari.

Ibiteye lamented that the family’s biggest challenge was deciding who would take the money to the kidnappers.

“I finally made the decision to deliver the N2.5 million to them in the forest. Given that my blood relatives were involved, I took a chance.

“I made the decision not to tell my wife or children about my decision.

“I only did one thing: I prayed to God. I prayed to God to keep me safe, guide me, and accompany me on my journey.

“I also promised God that if I went to the forest, I would return unharmed with my aunt’s husband and son.

“I developed a strong faith in God, believing that He would never let me down.”

“And when I was speaking with the abductors, I tried to instill confidence in them by assuring them that the money we agreed on would eventually arrive, as long as they could ensure the safety of the captives.

“I would sometimes hear how my in-law and his son were being tortured if I spoke with them,” he said.

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According to him, the kidnappers advised us not to call the cops.

“They warned us that if we told the cops, they’d find out and we’d pay a high price,” Ibiteye said.

He claimed that the kidnappers gave him instructions at regular intervals.

“I was instructed to hire an Okada rider (a commercial motorcyclist) who is familiar with the area to transport me to their enclave.

“Around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, I picked an okada at random.

“He initially refused to accompany me on the journey, but after much persuasion from his friends, he agreed to transport me to the forest.

“He stated that he would collect N10,000 for the transportation fare.

“When I spoke with the kidnappers, they told me to hand over the phone to the biker, and they told us to leave around 5 p.m. for the forest.

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“We drove for about an hour and a half before arriving at a marketplace where we were told to park.

“It was getting dark and cloudy at this point. They did this to allow for the arrival of nightfall before arriving at their destination.

“After a while, they told us to keep going on our journey.

“At around 8 p.m. that day, we arrived in the forest’s hinterland, which was surrounded by hills and mountains.

“The forest is two villages after Kuchikwo, and it rained heavily throughout our journey from there,” he said.

Ibiteye claimed that a man carrying an AK-47 came out of their camp, flashed light at them, and told him to put the money on the rocky ground.

“He asked if the money was complete, and I said yes,” I said.

“We were then told to return to the village marketplace, where we had made a pit stop on our way to the forest.

“They said my in-law would be reunited with us there,” he explained.

Ibiteye, who said the abductees emerged from a bush near the market area, said the four of them rode back home on a motorcycle.

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“Even though the market was closed at the time, I was curious if anyone was passing by until I saw my in-law and his son emerge from a nearby bush,” he explained.

He claimed that as soon as they arrived in Bwari, his in-law and son were rushed to the hospital with wounds from the torture and other inhumane treatment they had endured while in captivity.

According to the victims’ accounts, the kidnappers had a variety of sophisticated weapons in their camp, according to Ibiteye.

“They also noticed that those guys (abductors) were working as a syndicate because they talked on the phone with other people both inside and outside Abuja.

“Moreover, my in-law told me that when the police arrived the day they were kidnapped, they were all still in the vicinity, along with their captors, shooting sporadically in the air.

“They began their journey to the forest after the police team had left,” he explained.

Ibiteye called his experience “horrible and dangerous.”

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The RCCG member, who claimed it was the third kidnapping case in the area, urged the federal government to intervene.

“I believe the government is aware of these criminals’ operations, and they should be sincere in carrying out their mandate of ensuring the safety of citizens’ lives and property,” he urged.

In a phone call to Mariam Yusuf, the Police Public Relations Officer, FCT Command, on Monday, NAN sought confirmation of the incident and she requested a text message after listening to the subject matter.

However, as of the time of filing the report, she had not responded to the text message sent to her phone or to subsequent calls placed to her.