Metro

‘They Broke My Jaw; I Drank Garri For 10 Days’ – Edo Rev. Fr. Nightmare In Kidnappers’ Den

Published

5 months ago

March 22, 2025

Photo: file copy

Reverend Father Thomas Oyode, the Reactor, Immaculate Conception Seminary, Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, has narrated his ordeal in the hands of kidnappers.

INFO DAILY reports that Rev. Fr. Oyode was abducted in the evening of October 27, 2024 at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Agenebode.

Narrating his ordeal in an interview, Rev. Fr. Oyode, said it was around 7pm on the faithful day when three young men who looked like Fulani herders stormed the seminary, shot sporadically into the air and the process kidnapped him and two seminarians but he pleaded for their captors to free the seminarians, which they obliged to.

He narrated: “They announced their presence with gunshots, but I didn’t realise we were in danger at the time. It was around 7.00pm. We usually have the vigilante come to resume night duties at 8.00pm, and he would usually shoot a shot up, perhaps to announce his presence.

“When I heard the first gunshot where I was seated, I thought he was the one. Then there was a second one and I thought to myself, “why is he wasting the bullets?”.

“It was at that very moment I heard feet stamping towards me. I raised my head and saw three young men looking like Fulani, brandishing a cutlass, a stick and a gun respectively. I was terrified and started screaming “Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Mother Mary, Help Me! Ikenemoh, where are you?”. This made them hit me harder, as they would later tell me when they took me to the bush.

“As they hit me with every instrument they held, I fell to the ground, and it appears I passed out because I later found myself almost lifeless on another spot far from where they began hitting me and I didn’t know how I got to that spot. I felt one of them trying to lift me up, saying “oya come make we dey go”.

“I tried to open my eyes then I discovered that my left eye was already covered, I couldn’t see with it. It was swollen. The right eye was covered with blood. I could barely see but I managed to see two of my Seminarians being held hostage; one looked like he was explaining something or pleading to be freed. He was gripped by the collar of his uniform.

“It was then that I realised that we were not just being attacked by some angry herdsmen, we were going to be kidnapped.

“So, I managed to stand on my knees, lifted my hands and pleaded with them, “Okay, make una leave these ones, I go follow una. I’m a priest, abeg I go follow una” and they said “Oya get up make we dey go.” They tied my hands and took me away.

“At this point I noticed that the number of the attackers increased. There were now about ten of them. Later I discovered that they were actually nine in all. That was how they took me away.”

According to the priest, he spent 10 days in the kidnappers’ den, but he couldn’t eat anything apart from water and in some occasions garri in the water.

He added: “It was actually ten days, though I got home (my diocese) on the eleventh day, having passed the night in a village in Ajaokuta local government, Kogi State.

*I ate nothing that Sunday before the evening of the kidnap. I said three Masses in the morning at 5.30 am, 6.30am and 8.30am. From the Parish I proceeded to the seminary around 12.00 noon where I presided over a meeting between 1.00pm and 4.00pm when I went into my room for a nap.

“I was hungry and thirsty when they came. So, when we walked a short distance, my throat became very parched. I asked for water but they told me that I couldn’t drink anything then “because of your condition”. I guess they were referring to the bleeding. Later in the night, they gave me water from a muddy river, but I rejected it. I thought they had potable water (pure water sachet) for me.

“The next morning, they offered me cornflakes which they called garri but I couldn’t eat it. It was then I noticed that tears dropped from my eyes. They had broken my left jaw, and I could not open my mouth to chew even as my left eye had become swollen and closed up arising from the broken jaw.

“I realised that I was going to suffer a lot for as long as I was going to be alive in the forest. So I didn’t eat. I only drank water and sometimes, I asked them to add garri to the water for me to drink. That was what I fed on for ten days.”

The Rev. Fr. Who said he prayed with “my fingers even the Divine Mercy prayer at 3.00pm every day,” further narrated his ordeal: “On one of the nights when they had my hands tied to the back and tortured me, the one they called Gambo kept shouting at me to keep quiet as I was crying and begging. He told me “keep quiet now or I’ll shoot you”.

“As I pleaded the more with my hands already numb, he asked me, “If I release you now and tell you make you dey go, make you become Muslim, you go do?” For split seconds I considered the option and I immediately realised they would never release me after all. So, I asked, “me?”. He answered, “yes” and then I said “I be Reverend Father o”. He said “I know na” and then I said “no, I no go do”. He kept silent and never said anything again.”

On how he was miraculously released, the priest said: “I kept hoping I would be released. I kept praying even when there were instances when I felt they were planning to kill me, I could only pray for mercy and beg God to grant me the grace to join the Blessed Virgin Mary and my favourite saints in heaven.

“My release was a mix of surprise and hope because there were times when it felt like it was never going to happen, like no matter what, they would kill me and abandon me in the bush anyway. I walked with them barefooted to Kogi State, near Ajaokuta Local Government Area.

“That was where they released me, where my people came to pick me on a motorcycle.”

Metro

Police Arrest Ex-Soldier, Four Others Over Armed Robbery, Kidnapping In Anambra

Published

10 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of five suspected members of a notorious armed robbery and kidnapping syndicate, including a confessed deserter of the Nigerian Army, in Awka, the state capital.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the operation was carried out on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Awkuzu.

Ikenga said the operation was carried out after the Command received intelligence on the abduction of a farmer at Isiagu, Awka.

The victim was reportedly released after an undisclosed amount of ransom was paid.

The police spokesperson said that, acting on credible intelligence, police operatives stormed the gang’s hideout at Notoko, Awka, leading to the arrest of the confessed deserter soldier and four other suspects.

Ikenga identified the suspects as 38-year-old Dominic Oraz, a confessed deserter of the Nigerian Army; 30-year-old Michael Nwobodo; 29-year-old Eze Friday; 23-year-old Uche Okolo, and 29-year-old Chinedu Gilbert.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include six automatic pump-action guns, 63 rounds of live cartridges, one microscope, five machetes, one military cap, two police teargas canisters, handcuffs, a robber’s rocket launcher, criminal charms, three Motorola walkie-talkies, one jack knife, one power bank and cash sum of N26,000,” Ikenga stated.

He said that during interrogation, Oraz admitted abandoning the military in November 2024.

Ikenga noted that investigations are ongoing, particularly regarding the deserter soldier, in collaboration with military authorities, to guide further police action and prosecution of all suspects.

He said the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, commended the operatives for the operation and urged residents of the state to remain vigilant and to continue to report suspicious activities to the Police for prompt action.

The commissioner also assured Ndi Anambra of the Command’s unwavering commitment to combating violent crimes.

Metro

Police Arrest Ex-Soldier, Four Others Over Armed Robbery, Kidnapping In Anambra

Published

10 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Ikenga said the operation was carried out after the Command received intelligence on the abduction of a farmer at Isiagu, Awka.

The victim was reportedly released after an undisclosed amount of ransom was paid.

He said that during interrogation, Oraz admitted abandoning the military in November 2024.

Ikenga noted that investigations are ongoing, particularly regarding the deserter soldier, in collaboration with military authorities, to guide further police action and prosecution of all suspects.

The commissioner also assured Ndi Anambra of the Command’s unwavering commitment to combating violent crimes.

Metro

Enugu Vigilantes Beat Young Man To Death Over Alleged Stealing Of Woman’s Clothes

Published

10 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Members of the Neighbourhood Watch in Amagu Iwollo Oghe community, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, have allegedly beaten a young man, Mr. Nosike Madueke, popularly known as Wojuwo, to death over a false theft allegation.

Community sources told SaharaReporters that the vigilante group was led by the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the community, Mr. Chukwuebuka Hillary Ngwueche, also known as Osuofia.

According to one of the sources, the incident occurred on Monday, August 25, 2025, when the local security men attacked Madueke with “dangerous weapons” after he was accused of stealing a box of clothes belonging to Mrs. Nneka Nwankwo.

The source explained that Nwankwo had earlier hired Madueke and his co-workers to repair or dig her septic tank and soakaway, but later raised an alarm claiming her box of clothes had gone missing.

“Instead of handing Madueke over to the appropriate authority, especially the police, they decided to jointly and severally take the laws into their respective hands by arresting Madueke, dragging him to his house for a search, bringing out his clothes, and burning all the clothes,” the source said.

“They tied Madueke on both his hands and legs and started profusely, taking turns by using offensive weapons such as guns, machetes, and irons, to beat him up till he died.”

“This happened in public at Iwollo Oghe Square. How can a trained CSO and his men kill a whole human being on a mere allegation by a woman of stealing her cloth, which was later found,” the source said.

“The young boy was from Imeziolo, Ezeagu LGA of Enugu State.”

According to another source, this marks the third time residents of Iwollo Oghe, either directly or through its purported security outfits, have been linked to the killing of people from the deceased’s community.

“Sometime in 1987, they shot Hyacinth Adinde with a gun and asked the people of Madueke community to do their worst.

“Also, years later, they killed Engr. Christopher Aniagbaoso, and yet they asked the people of the community to do their worst.

“The people of Iwollo Oghe are in the habit of killing the people of Imeziolo on mere suspicious grounds,” the source alleged.

“We call on the Enugu State command to do justice to this case as information reaching us revealed that the men are on the run after killing the young boy,” the source added.

A video obtained by SaharaReporters showed the deceased being beaten with sticks by men believed to be members of the Neighbourhood Watch, who were seen parading him along a community road.

Moments later in the footage, his lifeless body appeared on the ground, surrounded by residents, some of whom lamented, “See how they killed somebody’s only son for nothing.”

According to a source, the case has since been reported to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the Enugu State Police Command.

However, repeated attempts by SaharaReporters to obtain the reaction of the Police Command were unsuccessful.

Calls to the mobile phone of the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, went unanswered, and a WhatsApp message sent to him also received no response as of the time of filing this report.