They Hit Me on the Head with AK-47 When I Told my Kidnappers to Accept N5Million Ransom – Rescued Nigeria Doctor

Obadiah was rescued alongside nine other kidnap victims by the police on Monday. He had been in the kidnappers’ den for about 10 days.

Dr Etito Obadiah, a medical doctor with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi, Benue State, has narrated his ordeal in the den of kidnappers.

Obadiah was rescued alongside nine other kidnap victims by the police on Monday. He had been in the kidnappers’ den for about 10 days.

He said when he told his abductors to accept a ransom of N5 million after they had demanded N40 million, they hit him on the head with a gun.

According to the rescued medical doctor, he was kidnapped alongside his driver while they were on their way to Taraba State. He said he thought he could quickly go and return to attend to some patients in his hospital.

The Commissioner of Police (CP), Julius Alawari, while addressing journalists, revealed that police tracked the abductors to their hideout in Gaya village in the Katsina-Ala Council of Benue State.

But sharing his ugly experience with journalists in Makurdi, Obadiah said, “On getting to Zaki-Biam, we missed our way and needed direction. As we turned, we saw a motorcycle with three boys; each of them with an AK-47, and two others came again with AK-47s and the next thing we saw five others, also with AK-47s.

“They pushed my driver out and took my wallet, ID cards and phones. They blindfolded us and drove us more than 20 kilometres. It was around 3 pm. Before we knew it, it was night and they dropped us in a place. Two of us were kept in one house and they started beating us. They demanded N40 million. When I told them to accept N5 million, they hit me with an AK-47 on my head.

“Some women we met there had been there for a week or so. By 4am today, we started hearing gunshots and some people asked ‘Where is Dr Etito?’ Then, I knew it was the police and that was how they rescued us and we trekked over 10km. After all the beating, I was almost giving up. They were almost killing us.

“A policeman had to carry me on his back. I rate Nigeria Police highly. When they want to do their work, they will do it. When we got to that place, we concluded that no policeman or soldier can come to that place. We were shocked to see policemen this morning. They shot one of them and they were the ones that identified and carried me.”