By Kalu Nwokoro Idika
A man who refused to disclose his identity because of security reasons has narrated how his cousin brother who visited Nigeria for a burial from Switzerland was abducted by suspected gunmen of the Indigenous People Of Biafra.
He said the abductors of his brother whose operational base is in Lilu in Anambra State did not hide their identify after he was ferried to their camp to pay a ransom of two hundred thousand naira for his brothers release.
The gunmen according to his account, said that they resorted to kidnapping after Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in order to raise funds for their operations.
Read his account below.
Let me share this my experience with you guys for everybody to know that we are in serious troubles.
At about 2pm on the 26th January, 2022, I got a call from my cousin who came back from Switzerland for a burial at Umuike Ukpor. He told me that he was under captivity of IPOB guys at Lilu. The IPOB guys told me to come with 200,000 naira and bail my brother and his SUV if I still want him alive. Initially, I thought it was a prank but when the call came again, I knew it was a serious matter
They warned me not to involve police or else they will kill my brother. I called my boss in the office and told him what was happening and he adviced me not go. I also sought the opinion of my other friend who is a DSS guy, he asked me not to go. I called my elder sister and she warned me not to try it
They used another number to call me and directed me on how to come. I convinced myself that I should go and that nothing would happen to me. But my instinct continued telling me to go and save Okey
As soon as I joined the St Joseph to St Joseph/Onuselogu road, one particular bike man started following me from Awka Etitit section
I pretended that I wanted to buy fuel but the pump attendant told me that one man was calling me at the other side of the road. I also received a call from another number and I told them that I was on my way.
I took my old Siena bus and withdrew 250k and moved. Surprisingly, the person asked me whether I was the person with the Siena and I answered in affirmative. He then asked me to stop at Hajosty Petroleum at Ukpor which I did.
I came down, waited for further instructions
He then told me that my brother was in safe hands only that MNK onye Ndu is in prison and there is no money to operate
I walked to the other side and the man showed me my phone number and asked me whether I was the owner which I accepted. He then told me to buy him 2 bottles of Hero beer at a shop there which I did. I also took my own 2 bottles of Heineken beer
I told him that I understood him perfectly well. He then told me to remove everything that bear Nigeria I have on me and keep them in my vehicle and I obliged him.
That’s why they deployed a way of raising money by kidnapping. He asked me to join him on his bike and we zoomed off from that Hajosty Petroleum Ukpor
He asked me to pick a Greenleaf and be waving it across my head as he drove into Lilu.
That was when I knew that I was in trouble.
We got to a a point where they used a trip of chippings to block the tarred road and they dug a deep gully after the chippings to prevent soldiers from entering with armoured tanks into Lilu.
He drove for about 3 kilometers without seeing any life there except IPOB guys who were armed with various types of arms and dangerous weapons.
The guy was on a neck breaking speed until he got to Lilu junction Orsumoghu. There is also a filling station there which I can not remember the name now. He stopped and went to the filling station to greet some fierce looking men. All of them were carrying AK 47 automatic rifles with cache of ammunitions.
But they created a road in the bush where one could drive through but the road was seriously manned by IPOB guys. Several exotic cars were there. It is either their owners were killed or the owners ran away and abandoned them
When we got to their camp, it was a gory sight.
I was shocked to see a woman selling beer there and some girls who put spices to their lives were there singing and clapping.
My Visa was the green leaf which identified me as a peaceful man.
I bought them beer and they were 25 in number
I stayed there for 30 minutes before the GOC came out to see me. My brother was already pushed into their cell. They brought him out and knelt him down before me.
As soon as the GOC saw me, he queried them why they brought me there. They told him that I came for my brother. He said that there was a grave that was following me. But everywhere was smelling like sewage or septic tank.
I told him how I got a call and how I came to save my brother. He said that he liked my guts. He asked them to bring out my brother.
He ordered 4 of his men to escort us to that Ukpor junction.
The GOC told me to be praying for MNK to be released. I gave them what they asked me to bring and I also gave them 20k to drink.
But most of them were speaking Abakaliki dialect
There is no life there now.
Lilu town is like Sambisa forest now.
The experience is not worth having for a second time
It has been taken over by insurgents.
We are in serious troubles in Anambra South
These guys are mean
They have Intel’s everywhere
It is very unfortunate
It is very unfortunate
Lilu, Orsumoghu, Azia, Isekke, Ukpor are in serious troubles
They are small boys.
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