How kidnappers collected N4m with AI photo— Abducted graduate

Ibi Phillip, a graduate of Benue State University, tells AYOOLA OLASUPO how his journey to the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Akure, Ondo State, turned into a nightmare after he was abducted alongside 11 other travellers in Edo State.

What happened on the day you were abducted?

I am from Benue State and studied Mass Communication at Benue State University. I was heading to the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Akure, Ondo State, where I was posted, when I was kidnapped at Ibillo in Edo State.

How did the kidnappers abduct you and the other 11 travellers?

On September 30, 2026, I boarded a bus operated by Benue Links Nigeria Limited. It was supposed to take me to the NYSC orientation camp in Akure, Ondo State. We were on our way when the driver suddenly stopped. I wondered what had happened. When I raised my head, I saw several armed men, two of whom were wearing army camouflage uniforms.

Some vehicles coming from the opposite direction began to turn around. Their drivers were asking why our driver stopped and telling him to move. We, the passengers, also urged him to move because of what we were seeing, but he did not seem concerned.

Suddenly, the armed men ordered us to come down and lie on the ground. We did as we were told. They collected my phone and waist bag, which contained my keys and key holder. They took everything I had. They then ordered us to move. As they led us away, the driver and two other passengers escaped. The kidnappers did not shoot at them. They only chased them for some distance but eventually left them alone. That was how the rest of us were left with the kidnappers. They then took us into the forest. From Ibillo, they moved us towards Okene in Kogi State. We spent about two days moving through the forest before reaching their destination.

What was your immediate reaction when you realised you had been kidnapped?

When it dawned on me that I had been kidnapped, I almost gave up. I asked myself, “God, why me?” I never imagined that something like that could happen to me. At that moment, I almost gave up, but I told myself that God was in control. I decided to hold on and continued praying. Throughout my time in the forest, I kept praying and believing that God would save me.

What was your first night in captivity like?

The experience was horrible and terrifying. It was a dark, cold night, and we were kept on the ground. We slept on rocks, and I survived by the special grace of God. The experience was terrible. I spent nine days in captivity.

Were there children among those abducted?

There were no children, but there was a girl who was either 13 or 14 years old. The rest of us were adults, including some elderly people. There were eight males and four females, making 12 of us in total.

How did the kidnappers treat you and the other victims?

The first night, they beat me mercilessly while demanding money. It was by the grace of God that I survived. They also beat me while I was on calls with my family and later ordered me to end the calls. The experience was terrible. We slept in the rain and under the sun, often on hard rocks. After spending days sleeping that way, we could barely stand at times. They also starved us.

On the first day of our abduction, they did not give us any food. We went hungry throughout the day. The next day, October 1, they gave us rice and beans. It was not much, but we had to manage what we were given. They also gave us water from a stream to drink. That was the only water we drank in the forest.

When did the kidnappers first contact your family?

My father spoke with them during the ransom negotiations. They asked us to call our parents, guardians and other family members. We contacted them and explained the situation. The kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N15m. That was the amount we communicated to our families that day. They told us to ask our families to look for the money.

How did the negotiations progress?

The kidnappers usually called every morning and sometimes again later in the day. The following day, they asked what my father was doing and how much money he had at home. My father told them he had only N700,000 out of the N15m they were demanding. The negotiations continued, and they started torturing me, accusing my father of thinking they were joking and not taking their ransom demand seriously.

How much did they eventually collect as ransom?

The day before the kidnappers collected the money, they called my father and asked how much he had raised. He said he had N1.7m. They said it was too small and told him to raise more. They eventually agreed that he should pay N2m and said they would come to collect it. That was where the conversation ended. My father went to look for the money. When he realised he could not raise the full amount they wanted, he called and told them how much he had managed to raise. They then instructed our families to bring the money to Okene.

Did they collect N2m from each victim’s family?

No. The amounts differed from person to person. One man paid N4m because he had used AI to dress himself like a doctor, so the kidnappers believed he was a doctor. He was the only one who paid that much. I was the next person, paying N2m. Others paid different amounts, such as N1.2m or N1.6m.

Some victims could not pay because the relatives who were supposed to bring the money stopped answering calls. That night, the kidnappers beat them severely. Two women, in particular, were badly beaten. It was a horrible night for them.

Was anybody killed during the nine days you spent in captivity?

No, but we were threatened, especially when they demanded money. We were usually tortured during ransom negotiations. The kidnappers changed our location almost every day. Sometimes, they would wake us up around 8pm or 9pm and move us to another place. We might sleep for only two hours before they woke us up again and took us somewhere else. We kept moving from one location to another.

Can you remember the total number of locations you were moved to?

We were moved to about six or seven locations during our time in the forest. Sometimes, they would take us to a particular place and later bring us back there. That was how they operated.

When did they eventually release you?

We were released on Thursday, October 8, at about 7pm. Before then, we contacted our families and coordinated the ransom payment. The money was taken to Okene for security reasons.

We were held in a secluded place that was difficult to identify. Three armed men guarded us to ensure that nobody escaped, while five others went to collect the ransom near the forest. After the payment was confirmed, they contacted the men guarding us and instructed them to bring us out. Once everything was confirmed, we were released and reunited with our parents and families. The kidnappers gave some of us N2,000 from the ransom money. They later shared the ransom among themselves and their leader. The man wearing army camouflage was in charge of them in the forest. They took some of our belongings. They took my phone and did not return it.

Did you report the incident to the NYSC?

Yes. I reported to the nearest NYSC office with my father and one of his friends. We met the state coordinator, who asked why we had not reported the incident earlier. I explained what happened and said we expected the bus company to report the incident to the NYSC. The coordinator collected my phone number and documents, took pictures of them and said he would contact the state coordinator in Akure. I have not received any feedback yet, but I hope to hear from them.

Did you go to the hospital for treatment after your release?

Yes. The painful part was that when we were kidnapped, I informed my father and the parents of the other victims about what had happened. They gathered and went to the transport company to report the incident. The only thing the manager told us was that the Department of State Services had instructed him not to communicate with the kidnappers.

It was terrible that day. I almost gave up because we had hoped that when such a major incident occurred, the authorities would take immediate action. After my release, we went to the DSS to report the incident and explain what had happened. They said they were unaware of it. We also went to the Commissioner of Police, who said they were equally unaware. The whole situation was terrible. It felt as though the government and the authorities had abandoned the matter.

How have you been coping with the trauma?

The trauma has not completely gone away. Sometimes, I still get frightened. I travelled to Abuja last Sunday, and while I was returning, I saw someone whose car had broken down. When the man came out of his vehicle, I became scared and asked the driver of the vehicle I was travelling in to slow down. I tried to calm myself down, but later realised that the man simply came out because his car had broken down. Experiences like that sometimes bring back the fear I felt when I was kidnapped.

Are you getting better now?

I am feeling better now because I am taking my medication. It was a terrible experience, and something like that can happen to anyone. I want to use this opportunity to advise young men and women to be security-conscious when travelling, especially to unfamiliar places, and to take the necessary safety precautions.

I also want people to understand that behind every abduction are families going through pain and suffering. Our families went through a lot, and I endured an experience I never imagined I would have to face. I thank God for bringing me back safely.