Monarch recounts five-day ordeal in kidnappers’ den

The Obaro of Jakura, Usman Ajibola Adoga, who recently regained freedom from his captors after five days in the kidnappers’ den, has narrated how his son, Usman Rufai, was killed by the abductors.

The monarch said on July 17 while he was coming from his hometown, Jakura to Lokoja with the driver and his son, they suddenly saw somebody standing at a distance ahead between IMU and Ibola. Before they could make a detour, several gunmen emerged from the bush and started firing at his vehicle and his son was killed instantly.

“We saw somebody standing at a distance ahead of us. Just as we were asking who could the person be, gunmen from both sides of the road started firing. The first shot hit my son when he shouted. When I turned to look at my boy, they pushed me inside the bush. They asked for N60 million ransom and later reduced it to N30 million.

“They said I built a mansion in Jakura how would I say I don’t have money. I told them I was a teacher before retiring for this appointment. I don’t have money. I built the house when I was about to leave service because I had to put together the cooperative and severance package.

“They tortured me, they were all masked but by their outlook, they looked like Fulani. They were speaking Fulani but when they want to communicate with me one of them could speak in Yoruba though not very fluent but at least he was communicating.”

The Kogi State police command had paraded five notorious kidnappers that were responsible for the monarch’s kidnap and robbing other people along Okene-Lokoja road. Among those paraded yesterday included those that abducted Rev. Fr. Leo Micheal and Usman Adoga.

Parading the suspected kidnappers, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ali Janga, said the five suspects were arrested based on intelligence report following a tip-off.