A retired
university professor and former scribe of Ohaneze Ndigbo, the Igbo
socio-cultural organisation, Nduka Eya, has narrated his ordeal during the
three days he was
held by kidnappers in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria.
The
octogenarian, who was kidnapped from his home in Enugu on Thursday, was rescued
on Saturday morning after a police team stormed the den of the kidnappers at a
forest in Emene, near Enugu.
Speaking
with PREMIUM TIMES shortly after he regained his freedom, Mr. Eya said he tried
to counsel the kidnappers to repent from what they were doing but got more
beatings.
When our
correspondent visited the home of Mr. Eya shortly after his release, it was
filled with sympathisers and well-wishers rejoicing with the family over his
rescue.
In high
spirit, he regaled the audience with the account of how he was kidnapped at
about 9.30 p.m. when he was about to take his coffee before going to bed, and
the ordeal he went through for three days before his rescue.
He said the
kidnappers apparently working with his driver, came into the compound through
the main gate. He said the gateman had wanted to bolt the gate but was told by
the driver not to as they were expecting some visitors.
According to
him, three of the kidnappers then walked into his main building through the
kitchen door with the driver who they were beating to give the impression that
he was not part of the plot.
He said when
they got in the kidnappers pointed a gun at him and forced him to follow them
to his car which they asked his driver (who usually keeps the car key) to drive
to Emene, before one of the kidnappers took over from him and meandered into
the forest.
Mr. Eya said
he later discovered in the forest that the number of the kidnappers increased
to between 14 and 20, and that they moved him from one location to another.
He said the
hoodlums demanded N25 million initially until the ransom was negotiated down to
two million, as he kept reminding them that he was a poor retiree and had no
such money.
“I was
rescued by the police. My driver was part of it; they said he brought the
business,” Mr. Eya told his crowd of sympathisers.
“I can tell
you, the Police when they want to work, they work. After all the rigmarole, I
was tortured, I was beaten but I just said ‘why do you strike me?’
“The driver
was there, they beat him too but I don’t know if it is the same type of beating
they gave me.
“But one
funny thing is that for three days I was blindfolded, but they didn’t blindfold
the driver. He was the driver who took us out to the bush, he was driving. And
this is a young man, he had no job, I just employed him.”
Speaking on
the development, state police spokesperson, Ebere Amaraizu, said Mr. Eya was
rescued by operatives of the anti-kidnap Unit of the Enugu State Police Command
“through intelligence information and coordinated operation.”
“The police
in the early hours of 5/8/17 rescued Prof Nduka Eya who was allegedly abducted
on 3/8/17 at Ezillo Street Independence Layout Enugu.
“He was
rescued unhurt by the operatives following an operation carried out in a forest
along Enugu/Abakiliki Expressway in which one suspect identified as one Amadi
was arrested.
“Recovered
from him is a locally made gun and he is helping the operatives in their
investigations.
“Meanwhile,
the rescued victim has re-united with the family while manhunt on other
suspects is intensified.
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