Julie, mother of three, is about 40 years old. She was hosting a meeting of her church group in her village in Ebonyi State and went to a nearby sub-urban spot to pick items to prepare for her guests. She sent her elder sister’s daughter, Dora, to go buy the things while she waited in front of a supermarket in her Jeep.
Just then, a car pulled up and four men jumped out, shooting in the air. They rounded her up, and gave her dirty slap. She folded up. They pushed her into the Jeep and one of them jumped into the driver’s seat. They zoomed off.
Just outside, they marched ‘automatic’ brake and captured a well-fed man and his brother, pushed them into the Jeep, and continued.
Next, they found a cloth and tied the eyes of their victims. The kidnap project was complete.
Back to the supermarket point, Dora returned from buying food items only to find her Auntie’s Jeep gone, and her Auntie nowhere to be seen. The awed crowd told her the woman in the Jeep was kidnapped and taken away in her vehicle. She fell on the ground wailing, and later went home to meet the guests that had started gathering. Wailing continued, this time, by all.
Relations began making calls. Prayer warriors, the last hope of families in distress in Nigeria especially in South East, began to set up to intercede.
Back to the Jeep, they drove for long, almost all day. Then, they stopped and began to walk. The female victim had no idea which part of Ebonyi, or Enugu, or Anambra they were. She and the other victims were ushered out and long trekking in the forest began, still blindfolded.
At a point, she felt water on her feet and knew they were crossing river. They climbed hills and sometimes descended valleys, but she had no idea where they were. When they crossed the river, she felt in her heart, oh, so this is the place they will harvest the organs? She said her last prayer, one of her many ‘last’ prayers.
Then, they got to a place and it was approaching night. She was asked to come into a room. It was actually no room but shed with water dripping into it. They removed the blindfold. She did not know how she slept.
In the morning, things began to get clearer. It was a vast area. You cannot describe it to anyone. The kidnappers had parlour, kitchen, bedroom, etc. These actually are different sections of the forest given different names. The ‘soldiers’ moved about to different sections of the vast forest. She also noticed some order and command structure amongst the ‘soldiers’.
Now, time for questioning. It became clear that there was a leader or commander. He was older, more mature, more reasonable.
She was warned to choose say only the truth, maybe she might live, or choose death, which seemed obvious. The commander told her they already knew almost everything about her; where she works, etc. Now, they seemed to have a confusion. Where she works (a big private company) does not seem to agree with what they saw with her. They thus asked her what connections she had with the Military. She said none. The commander hollered at her and gave her the last chance to say the truth and live.
You said you had no connection, what is this ID card here, and the cape? Oh, she answered, it is something most workers procure to pass the roads easily. She runs inter state every day. She procured the Legion ID and cape which makes the numerous police points to allow her pass.
The commander agreed she was saying the truth. She was no military person, and did not look it. Verdict: Julie is to live, perhaps. Some of the foot soldiers were not too pleased with that. To them, death was better and faster.
The next two persons were to be judged. One was easy. He was confirmed a military personnel. The brother begged and begged. Deaf ear. Do you beg these people? They took him to the killing range and came back fast. Dead. The brother was shaking, realizing that the most important member of their family had just been wasted. His fate was to wait for further decision: if the brother of a soldier was fit to live.
They brought food for Julie, who is now the Commander’s guest in the shed. Commander gave order; nobody is to touch her. Nobody is to rob her of anything. Look, we do not touch women. We do not steal. We do not collect ransom because we do not need people’s rotten money. We know where our money comes from. We are only out to kill security personnel and politicians. We don’t touch their kobo.
Then, the big revelation. You know how we got to you? People may think we were trailing you. No, not so. As you see us, we are not human being again. We have all manner of charms. When we get close to a security personnel, our body system will alert us. We go after the person, either kill him right away or abduct him for further examination. So, when we passed where you parked, our body system alerted us. That was how we drove to your point and took you. It is because of the Legion ID and cape. It attracted our system. The problem was that we kept finding evidence you were not connected to security. So, what was the ID card or cape doing with you. You are lucky we were interested in finding out. Else, you would be shot right away. Some other groups would not have any patience at all.
The other man was a military person. He was returning from an event. He was most qualified for instant bullet.
Now, draw your ear and listen: Do not allow any of your relations to join Army, Police, or anything security agency.
Another warning: See those violating Sit-At-Home on Mondays, sorry for them. The day we will remember them, the roads would flow in blood. That day, not a single person would escape.
Now, time for food. They brought rice, she refused. That is a big offence in the jungle. Food is a must, else, you are insulting them.
She made sign of the Cross to pray. Oh, offence number two. How dare you begin to call the name of that your God. Don’t try it. She ate small. They gave water whose source she never knew. She drank small. Now, the Commander began to call her ‘Sister’. She now called him Nwannem. That became the code.
When it was morning, they ‘prayed’ in their style, and called the name of their god, the name that is now popular with Freedom Fighters in the region.
The next day, being the third, the good news came. You will go today. She couldn’t believe her ears. Go home. Instantly, she remembered her kids, her father, her siblings. Oh, home sweet home, I want to go home. Oh, when am I going, oh, please, when? Then, they gave her stern warning. Is it because we ruled life for you? Please stop it or…
Read also: Debunking insurgency assertion: Is Nigeria winning the war on insurgency and kidnapping?
They told her none of her items would be taken. Her Jeep? Oh, we will keep it and use it for five operations. Then we will return it anywhere you want. Can this be true? She wondered. Well, life first, before car.
She calmed down. At a particular time late in the evening, they said, oya, go and climb that Okada. The commander collected N5,000 from her handbag and gave her to enter bike when they drop her and go to her nearest contact.
Two rifle-bearing dark colours stood. She climbed and one backed her. They kicked off like mad people. They rode in the forest for about 30 minutes and then got to light bushes until they came to a junction. With lightening speed, they pushed her out and zoomed off like spears into the empty night.
Julie went to an elderly man and told him she just came out from the forest of death. The man showed sympathy and chose a late Okada man and begged him to take her where she mentioned was ok, after she had found out where she was. She was with her phone. She called her family. Madness! Can this truly be Antie Julie? It was. By 11pm, she rode through the lonely dark road to their village square, and all hell (or heaven) broke lose. Prayers, speaking in tongue.
The nigh stood still. Celebrations, stories, etc.
Some other confidential things were said by the kidnappers, or are they Freedom Fighters?
Few weeks later, Nwannem called. Go to this junction and collect your car. God, can this be true? She took a team and went there. Behold, the Jeep stood there looking at the owner. People had gathered. The Jeep came back exactly the same way it went. The gang brought the Jeep, parked it and immediately captured another vehicle after shooting in the air. They pushed out the owner and sped off, using the next car as escape van.
Julie and her team picked their car, with blood stains everywhere. They went to do the needful before putting it to use in their Ebonyi home.
Lessons:
The first is to note that three major groups kidnap and terrorise people in the South-East. The first are armed herdsmen who actually are not herders but armed beasts (as they are called in the far north) and rustlers. They kill recklessly. They simply want ransom quickly and kill the next moment if the money doesn’t come quick. They may still kill after collecting ransom because they do not seem to have a soul.
The next most vicious are organ harvesters. They kidnap, ask for ransom, and still kill whether it was paid or not because they have organs to supply.
The third is made up of Freedom Fighters, who probably are the ones that captured Julie. They seem to operate with rules, though they have boys that seem to be a bit mad. They can do anything behind their commanders. They seem to be angry with the system, with the government, and with the security agencies.
The problem is, you have no right to decide which group to fall into, or to know ahead, until they kidnap you. In which case, prayers are the only shield.
