Segun Atanda/
A former journalist has narrated on Facebook how he escaped an attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Ekiti State on Saturday.
NewsmakersNG learnt that several people, including a retired Major General and the Financial Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Mr. Kayode Oni, were abducted during the attack.
The State Publicity Secretary of PDP in Ekiti, Mr Jackson Adebayo, confirmed Oni’s abduction. He said Oni had gone to conduct the PDP Local Government congress in Efon area and was abducted while returning to his country home in Aramoko.
Adebayo also disclosed that the kidnappers had established contact with the abductee’s wife and younger brother and demanded N30 million as ransom.
Army authorities are yet to react to the abduction of the retired general.
The victim, Awogbemi Abiodun, said an 18-seater commuter bus he was in ran into an ambush by the suspected herdsmen at Itaudo/Erio junction, near Aramoko-Ekiti, around 3.30pm.
He said other vehicles, including another 18-seater bus belonging to YMCA, St Paul Church, Ijeshatedo/Isolo District, were also caught in the ambush.
According to the victim, some people sustained bullets wounds and were abandoned at the spot, while the rest of them were marched into the nearby bush by the fully-armed herdsmen.
Here is the victim’s account below:
“I was in Ado Ekiti en-route Ikole Ekiti, I boarded an 18 seater commercial bus in Ikole around 1:15pm, the journey was smooth until the time the driver who was popularly known as Bororo due to the reddish of his skin bought fuel at Bovas.
“Suddenly, At 3:33pm, after a town called Itaudo, we heard sporadic gun shots reminiscence of a war zone , I saw about maybe ten in front, our driver wanted to make a detour when we saw about ten behind, I was in front beside the driver, we encouraged him to stop which he did.
“Five young Fulani came up to us, some of them are in military uniform, the vehicle in our front tried to reverse, the vehicle was wet with gunshots, the 18 passenger bus coming behind us, YMCA, St Paul Church vehicle, ijesatedo/isolo district tried to make a detour, the vehicle was sprayed which hit many of the passengers one confirmed dead immediately, many injured.
I hid my nylon bag that contained my Video Camcorder, Camera, two phones, some picture materials for the production of a magazine, writes-ups and photographs, two ID cards, my flash drive and deposit (money) under the seat.
“Five of the Fulani gendarmes came to us and gestulate to us to come out and lie down which we did, one of them was shouting Kao money, money! Money!! money!!. The shooting was going on from others. They asked seven of our groups including me to march into the bush, two of the Fulani are in the front, two behind while two of us was following them and one of the Fulani was following us, we were moving, I discovered that the one behind me was unsettled maybe afraid, without notice, I bolted, and shoved him aside, he raised the gun but did not shoot, I kept running, Five others joined the race, one boy was shot in the leg but we managed to dragged him along, they did not pursue us but the shooting was as if it was trailing us, we kept running inside the forest for about one hour when we stopped, one of my shoe was gone. We saw a man who took off on seeing us.
“We later followed different direction, Yoruba people good ooo, I busted out somewhere close to Itawure Ekiti after about two hours running, a woman quickly came for me, she gave me water to drink and gari saying that the gari will make mind cool down, it was then I knew my leg was bleeding, the woman put something that stopped the bleeding instantly. I later saw a man whose sister was killed and brother kidnapped, the good Nigerian woman organized a bike for us saying some soldiers are already at the scene.
“At the scene we met some soldiers from Ado Ekiti and some from Itawure, some road safety officers, about five vehicles, our 18 seater commercial bus, the church 18 seater bus with bullet sprayed and smeared blood, a neat Toyota camry that has been decorated with gun shots, one highlander jeep in which the man’s child is scheduled to wed the following day was kidnapped leaving the wife, one Toyota jeep, the owner is yet to be identified. I checked the bus I boarded, alas; my bag was gone from where I hide it with all the contents!!!
“These are gendarmes are nothing but armed robbers, kidnapper and terrorists and not herdsmen in the manner and way they handled the weapons, they were well trained. They are Fulani from their physical outlook and intonations. Some of them are in military uniforms and aged maybe 20 years.”
NewsmakersNG could not yet verify the victim’s account from police authorities in the state.
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