One of the five abducted victims of Lagos-bound commercial bus accosted at Ogbere end of the Benin-Ore-Sagamu Expressway in Ogun state on Thursday, Chiemela Iroha, has declared that the suspected kidnappers were Fulani herdsmen with all the indications observed from them.
Chiemela, who is the son of late James Iroha, popularly called Gringory Akabogu of the New Masquerade Soap Opera fame, said although no ransom was paid for their release and rescue by Nigeria Police Force, Ogun State Police Command, they were subjected to terrible experiences as the Fulani herdsmen kidnapped and matched them into the forest, 30km away from the land of the living.
Chiemela disclosed that their bus was not the original target but when the original targeted vehicle was riddled with bullets and the motorist went away with punctured tyres and with bullets which prompted the suspected kidnappers to descend on them and picking passengers randomly.
He said, “Well from the looks, there are something I can’t say because it’s a bit sensitive because the Police are on the matter now for the sake of not destroying the evidence.
“From the language they spoke they are pure Fulani herdsmen no doubt about it, I wouldn’t want to go further than that. They don’t know me, I don’t know them either, I was in a bus, in fact they told us that they don’t have business with us, but the car they were shooting at, drove away with bullets.
“But, the guy managed to go with two tyres and they turned back and descended on us, they picked us randomly, we never knew them from Adam, they just said their bullet will not go away, they needed someone to pay for it and they took us.”
But, Bashir Makama, Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command stated that about three to four suspected kidnappers had been arrested in connection with the abduction and clarified that the victims were neither pastors members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) as earlier being reported but only one of the victims – Ibeleji Chidinma, is the RCCG Deaconess.
“You will recall we had a situation where five persons were kidnapped precisely on 1st of August at about 3:30 along Sagamu-Ore, Ogun State, that is around Ogbere to be precise.
” Four males and one female were taken into captivity by kidnapers who stopped them on the highway and diverted or took them into the forest, the search commenced that same day, there were massive deployment of policemen into the area and search commenced right into the forest.
“It didn’t work out first day, yesterday was another day, again the search continued, all the deployment we had massively and supported by the local vigilante and the local hunters, the helicopter didn’t stop its work, we still had air surveillance that was massively and thoroughly conducted around the bush and geo locations.
” Well, as God will have it this morning, the First victim which was the woman, was rescued very early this morning and she has since joined her family at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the remaining four men the search continued for them, the pressure was mounted, the Policemen lined up all through, as God will have it, they were equally rescued unhurt. That is to say, the five persons that were kidnapped were all rescued unhurt.
“On thing I want to call the attention of Nigerians to is to clear the air that the five of them are pastors of the Redeemed Christian Church of God at the time the information filtered, we didn’t have any issues to join words with any one because first and foremost they were taken into the bush, nobody knew their identities, relatives started calling, at that point we didn’t want to say whether they were all pastors or not, but as at now the story is that only the woman is a Deaconess of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and she has since then joined her family just like the four gentlemen will join their families soon from what appeared to have been holding them into ransom. Even though, in the process one or two things could have happened in the bush.
“Arrest were made, in such cases, there might be no direct arrest but soft targets, those that bought foods, those who gave information, those that are suspected, that was why, I said other things that happened at the forest is for investigation.
” To me, I’m not aware of ransom being paid, but they were rescued. Arrested so far in connection to this case was about three or four, because I was personally there.
“Security is there, you know somebody who wants to track you, knows how to do it even in the midst of heavy security, it’s just to use the last loop hole to rain terror and that’s how terrorists work, where you think they will be, they will not be there, definitely there’s no way for them in this state”, the Ogun Commissioner of Police said.
