Two kidnapped victims have narrated their ordeal in the hands of their captors because they gave them expired ATM cards in Rivers State.
The victims identified simply as Fortune, a businessman and Jane, his childhood friend, were captured on Wednesday, May 11, 2016.
The duo were rescued on Saturday, May 21, 2016 by operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
Fortune narrated that they were kidnapped on their way to the Kalla police station to retrieve his stolen car which was recovered by the police.
According to him, the kidnappers accosted them and took them to a forest in Igwuruta, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state where they tortured them and inflicted injuries on his head and body.
He further disclosed that the kidnappers planned to use them for money rituals as they took them to a place in the bush where a huge fire was prepared.
He said: “At the long run, we discovered that we were somewhere around Igwuruta, very deep inside the forest. Our kidnapper stabbed us, beat us and even took my expired ATM card. I have wounds all over my head.
“We stayed eight days in the kidnappers den. They continued to give us the beating of our lives when they discovered that the ATM card they used did not dispense money for them at the bank. It was clear that the ATM had expired, but they did not understand that.
“At a point, while we were taken round the bush blindfolded, they took us to a particular place where I sensed a huge fire and their communication indicated that we were at a place where human parts were used for money rituals.
“It was in the night and I felt that someone came close and they later moved us inside the forest. I believed what saved us from the ritual aspect was that Jane was in her monthly period. That was when we were made to trek about two hours before they allowed us to rest.”
Fortune said his younger brother paid a ransom of N500, 000 to the kidnappers and they were deliberating on how to share the money before the captors moved them out of the forest
He said: “We got a moment of respite when sharing the ransom sent to them by brother became a problem as they quarreled over it to our hearing.
“The other members became angry and they came out with us to somewhere close to the road. At the end, we heard a voice in the bush and they (our kidnappers disappeared).
“I raised my hands up. As at the time the Civil Defence men came in, it was around 11pm and we were rescued and brought here (state Command of the NSCDC).
Jane disclosed how their captors hit her with a hard object on the head twice leaving her with some injuries.
She said: “I thank God for saving my life. That is the most important thing.”
When contacted, the state commander of the NSCDC, Mrs. Helen Amakiri, confirmed the incident, adding that the command has launched an investigation to apprehend the culprits.
She said: “We have commenced investigation and we have directed that the Investigation Department of the NSCDC should take over the matter. From there, we will continue till we get the culprits.”
