Connect with us

Metro

How I Escaped From Kidnappers’ Den In – Female Victim

Published

on

A 40-year-old female victim of kidnappers in Kwara State, Funmilayo Olatunji, has recounted her miraculous escape from the den of kidnappers.

Funmilayo, who was abducted alongside two others, luckily escaped from the kidnappers barely hours after her abduction.

The three victims were abducted two weeks ago on Sunday at Eju town near Obbo-Ile, in Ekiti Local Government of the state.

Advertisement

According to Funmilayo in an interview with DAILY POST in Ilorin on Sunday, “we were seated outside the house with one Pastor Tope of the Winners Church, at about 7am, when four gunmen approached us asking if they could get cigarettes to buy.

READ ALSO: Insecurity: Protest Hits Bauchi Over Spate Of Killing, Kidnapping In Nigeria

“I responded by telling them, we don’t sell cigarettes and suddenly they brought out their AK-47 rifles.

“Immediately, I dropped my headphone under the chair I was sitting, with my handbag, but they were able to carry my handbag which contained some personal items.”

Advertisement

“Just as the drama unfolded, another victim, a 20-year-old female called Blessing Jacob, strayed in and the three of us were abducted at gunpoint and marched into an unknown forest amid torture,” she added.

Funmilayo, disclosed that when they got to the forest, the gunmen then requested a ransom of N10m from each of the three victims.

READ ALSO: How I Fought Kidnappers With Bare Hands – Female Traveller

She said, “They enquired if I have parents and family who could be called to come to the rescue. I then asked Pastor Tope to call my husband and mother to inform them, but was not successful.

Advertisement

“When my husband was reached at last, they demanded N30m for the release of the three captives.

“At about 1.40am after walking for several hours through the forest, I started praying to God to set us free.

“An opportunity opened up for us to escape but Pastor Tope rejected the attempt and so I left them.

“In the course of my long trek in the bush, I came across one operator called Abraham, who told me to go straight toward Ona-Ora and not to branch anywhere again, from where a vigilante member picked me up,” she narrated.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Insecurity: Protest Hits Bauchi Over Spate Of Killing, Kidnapping In Nigeria

She said the matter was reported to the police at Osi town but no action had been taken till the time of this report.

Funmilayo further disclosed that the kidnappers later demanded ransom from the families of the remaining two victims, who eventually were forced to pay N200,000 for their release four days after their abduction.

“They also collected tramadol tablets and packets of cigarettes as part of the condition to secure their release,” she added.

Advertisement

She identified the kidnappers as Fulani Bororo who spoke English and Yoruba languages fluently.

Efforts to reach the spokesman of the state police command, SP Okasanmi Ajayi, in Ilorin on Sunday proved abortive.

Advertisement

Metro

Court Jails Social Media Influencer For Celebrity Scam

Published

on

By

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, has sentenced Aluko Tunmise to one year in prison for his involvement in a celebrity scam.

Tunmise was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a cybercrime-related charge.

This was disclosed in a post on X by EFCC on Friday, May 17.

Advertisement

The post reads: “Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, convicted and sentenced one Aluko Tunmise, a self-acclaimed social media influencer and model, to one year imprisonment for celebrity scam.

READ ALSO: Mother Of Five Jailed For Forging Late Abba Kyari’s Signature

He was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrimes.”

“One of the counts reads: “That you, ALUKO TUNMISE JUWONLO (A.K.A. KEANU REEVES), sometime between January and March, 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, directly made a false statement, wherein you held yourself out as a white man by name “KEANU REEVES” on your Telegram Account, knowing same to be false and with intent that the representation is relied upon for the purpose of procuring the issuance of financial instrument to yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015′.

Advertisement

He pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge when it was read to him.

READ ALSO: Disregard Claim Of Me Bringing Investors To Nigeria – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C.Okezie, sought to present an operative of the EFCC, Vincent Sunday Kwambuge, to review the facts of the matter.

Kwanbuge told the court that the defendant was arrested sometime in March, 2024 at Lekki County Estate, Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the Commission on the activities of some internet fraudsters operating in the area.”

Advertisement

 

Continue Reading

Metro

Three Children Rescued As Fire Guts Storey Building In Delta

Published

on

By

Three children have been rescued as fire gutted a-storey building at the Obi Onuorah Crescent back of Okowe plaza in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The PUNCH correspondent who visited the fire scene on Friday, observed that the roof and the two apartments were razed down as property worth millions of naira was damaged.

However, the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filling this report

Advertisement

Speaking, a widow and mother of four children, Mrs Gloria Sado who wept profusely appealed to Nigerians to come to her aid.

READ ALSO: Lady Reveals Three Ways To Know If A Girl’s Waist Beads Is Not ‘Ordinary’

She said, “I came back Thursday night around 9 pm when I saw a fire burning in our house.

“My three children were in the house, one went with me to market, thank God, it was a lot of effort for my children to be rescued. I didn’t know the cause of the fire

Advertisement

“All the three fire services that came did not have water to quench the fire, our property was burnt to ashes”

Also, her neighbor, Simon Amalimen, and father of two said, “I was in my apartment when I heard fire, fire, I came out and noticed that the fire was coming out from my neighbor’s apartment.

READ ALSO: Anambra: Three Ex-police Officers Bag Life Imprisonment For Murder

“When learned that the three children were inside the apartment sleeping, we immediately moved into the fire to rescue the children, then, the fire had to gut my apartment.

Advertisement

“Before we could rescue them, the fire had entered my apartment and my two children and my wife were rescued. Only the boxers I wear are the clothes I came out with.”

He said before the third fire service could arrive, the two apartments and property had been burnt.

The victims were currently homeless as sympathizers were said to have gone to buy some clothes for them.

An official of the state fire service who did not want his name mentioned confirmed the incident.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Metro

Viral Video: “Please Stop Crying,” Soldiers In Tears After Losing Colleagues To Terrorists

Published

on

By

In a now-viral video posted on X on Tuesday, soldiers of the Nigerian army were seen crying, seemingly after losing some of their colleagues to terrorist attacks.

The video posted by #X-Daily has become viral after X users have sympathised with the soldiers.

Although it is unsure of when the video was made or the actual cause of why the soldiers were crying, Nigeria has been faced with terrorist attacks for over two decades.

Advertisement

The post read, “Nigerian Soldiers in tears after losing their colleagues in Terrorist attack in Northern Nigeria.”

READ ALSO: Military Declares Nigerien Terrorist Wanted For Zamfara Killings

As seen in the video, soldiers are seen weeping while someone, presumably the one holding the camera, is comforting the soldiers and is heard telling them to stop crying.

“Stop crying please, stop crying,” the voice said.

Advertisement

“I tell you guys since morning, my mind no dey here, I no tell you?” he questioned in pidgin English.

Reacting, #Game_Boss360 wrote, “Those soldiers are really suffering out there.”

READ ALSO: Anambra: Three Ex-police Officers Bag Life Imprisonment For Murder

Another user, #calebuncovered, said, “This is why whenever I see civilians bashing soldiers on social media, it pains me deeply. As someone who grew up in the barracks, you have no idea what these guys do to protect this country. You have no idea how far they go to protect this country. They’re literally living a life of uncertainty because death can come anytime, and they would leave their family behind. Yet, some of you still come here and spew rubbish about soldiers.”

Advertisement

Meanwhile, #chrisndarl said, “This video hurts in so many ways ….so many ways man.”

A 2024 PUNCH report noted that Nigeria is grossly insecure. Under Muhammadu Buhari (2015-2023), 63,111 Nigerians died in violence, SBM Intelligence stated.

“Nigeria was ranked the eighth most terrorised country in the world by the 2023 Global Terrorism Index.

“This has contributed to the shortfall in food production and the upswing in food inflation as Nigeria’s food basket regions are plagued with gnawing terrorism and insecurity,” the report stated.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version