'Kidnappers use our eye see shege' - Ekiti kidnapped victims narrate deadly experience inside bush

Nine pipo wey include school children, teachers and dia drivers enta kidnapper den for January 2024 for Ekiti state Southwest Nigeria and dem experience painful tins in di hand of dia abductors.

On 29 January kidnappers stop one school bus wey dey carry children and teachers of Apostolic Faith School primary and secondary along Emure-Eporo-Ekiti.

Di victim tok say wen di kidnappers bin stop dia bus, dem first ask make dem move to one side inside di bush bifor dem come lie down for ova five hours as dem spread diasef to surround dem.

"Dem beat us seriously and mercilessly. Dem be four in numbers and dem divide diasef around us as dem collect our phones from us. Wen dem ask us to go down from di school bus, I see how dem dey shoot," one of di victims tell BBC News Pidgin.

Di victim wey no want make we mention her name add say "one pesin dey our back and anoda one bin dey front of di bus bifor dem come select di nine of us to waka inside di bush. We waks for like 30 minutes, we lie down for di place inside bush for about five hours."

According to di tori, na midnight di kidnappers begin dey carry dem waka for inside di bush sake of say nobody go fit see dem dat time.

Wen e reach one time, dem comot clothe for di body of di children sake of say na white uniform and e don dirty, but during dat time one voice don tok how many pipo go comot di bush alive, according to di victim.

Anoda tactics wey di kidnappers bin use cover dia waka inside di bush na to use leaves cover dia footsteps so dat pipo no go see say anybodi don waka pass dat place, di victim tok.

Di victim also add say one voice bin enta her ear say na only eight go comot inside di bush out of di nine wey dem be.

"I dey very afraid wen I bin get dat message. Di kidnappers come dey pluck trees wey get plenti leaves, dem use am cover di footsteps," di victim kontinu.

"I hear one particular voice twice inside my ears wey tok say 'na nine of us enta dis bush but na eight of us go come out'."

'Dem shoot di driver for back, demand 15million'

For di nine victims to regain dia freedom, di kidnappers begin dey ask dem to dey call dia family members to negotiate how much dem go collect bifor dem go release dem.

As di call go dey go on, di kidnappers go begin hit di victims wit strong cane to make dia family members know say dem dey suffer for inside di bush.

"Dem first call me say make I tok to my husband, as I dey follow my husband tok dem begin beat me mercilleslly wit a strong big cane on all part of my body. Dem come conclude say dem go collect 15million and afta dat, dem no go collect anytin again."

"Dem say make di driver call di proprietor of di school and dem begin dey beat am too wit cutlass, gun on im head and cane bifor dem shoot am gun for back.

Dem release eight of di victim afta di kidnappers collect 15miilion from dem and for dis victim, di freedom from di hand of kidnappers na like one burden wey dem lift comot for her head.

Di victims bin spend about six days for di hands of dia abductors bifore dem release dem.

On February 4, 2024 wey dem release di victims, di police toko tok pesin for Ekiti state, Sunday Abutu, confam am say true true dem don regain freedom but di kidnappers bin kill di driver of di school bus.