Eleven kidnap victims have escaped from their abductors after the suspects allegedly fell asleep following an overnight trek through the forest in Etsako West LGA of Edo State.
The victims spoke on Friday during a press briefing in Benin, the Edo State capital.
Destiny Braimah, one of the victims, said he was returning from his farm when he was intercepted by six armed men wielding guns and cutlasses.
He said the gunmen abducted him alongside 10 others before forcing them deeper into the forest.
Braimah said the victims heard gunshots, believed to have been fired by police officers, while they were being marched through the bush.
“I was coming from the farm when I met six of them armed with guns and cutlasses. They also captured others, making us 11 victims,” he said.
“They took us from one bush to another. At about 6 p.m., we heard police shooting. They made us walk throughout the night.
“When we got to a place, they told us to hide. They were very tired, so they fell asleep.
“That was how we escaped. We ran to the police station and met the police. The kidnappers beat us and maltreated us.”
Gloria Inyanugbo, another victim, said she recognised some of her abductors after their arrest.
She said she spent four days in captivity before her husband paid N3 million to secure her release.
“I was kidnapped on January 12 while working on the farm,” she said.
“They asked how much I had in my account after taking me into the bush. I spent four days there until my husband raised N3 million and another N300,000 to buy hard drugs, food, and other items.
“The community vigilante arrested two of them in the bush, while the police tracked and arrested others. I saw one of them who kept boasting that nobody could do anything to him. I never imagined the police would eventually arrest them.”
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command said it arrested 32 suspected kidnappers in June and rescued 38 abducted victims through intelligence-led operations and coordinated tactical responses across the state.
Speaking at the briefing, Monday Agbonika, commissioner of police in Edo State, said the command also arrested 15 suspected cultists, three armed robbery suspects, 11 murder suspects, and 14 suspects linked to rape and defilement cases during the period.
