From Solomon Ayado, Lafia
A former commissioner for higher education in Nasarawa state, Chief Clement Uhembe, who was kidnapped in Lafia town has been released after the abductors reportedly collected ransom.
Uhembe, a senior lecturer in the department of political science, federal university Lafia (FULafia) was abducted by gunmen, last Tuesday, in the night. His abductors demanded N30 million ransom.
However, the victim was freed on Thursday at about between 9 and 10pm. He said an undisclosed sum of money was paid to them.
Narrating his ordeal to newsmen, Uhembe described the experience as helly and said he “was chained for three days without food.”
“My abductors chained me throughout the period I was in captivity and warned me not to talk too much because I was trying to make them see reason while they should denounce their criminal ways and find legitimate means of livihood”
“I had trekked for about six hours with them from my house where I they picked me to a thick forest around the Adogi area of Lafia.
“There are many other kidnapped victims abducted from different parts of the country, who are still being held in that forest. I observed that they have a very strong network and a unique way of communication within the forest”
“They run shift. Some of them will go out and abduct their victims and hand over the victims to another set of people upon reaching the forest. Those ones are responsible for chaining and monitoring the kidnapped person(s)”
“The kidnappers camping in that forest are in large numbers. Those of them that came and abducted me were ten. Out of this number, eight were armed with AK47 rifles while the remaining two had machetes and other sharp objects,” Uhembe narrated.
He further stated that the abductors spoke different languages while he was with them.
“My experience in the kidnappers’ den is something one will not wish even his worst enemy to pass through. I really saw hell”
“They told me they were misinformed by their informants about my financial status. That the information given to them about me was that I am rich, I receives N1.5million from the state government every month and that I own a flashy black car”
“The kinappers also told me that on reaching my house they observed their was no light and my fence has no gate so they begun to wonder the kind of rich man that the entry point to his compound has no gate and was living in darkness,” he narrated.
The police in Lafia confirmed the incident. Police’s PRO ASP Ramhan Nansel stated.