A female senior lecturer (name withheld) in one of the tertiary institutions in Rivers State has given graphic details of her ordeals in the hands of kidnappers.
She recounted how she was raped in the forest of Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers and miraculously escaped from the kidnappers’ den.
Amid tears, she told her horrific story on Friday at the 6 Division of Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt shortly after the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, handed over the three men who confessed to have kidnapped her to SARS.
The victim, who was accompanied by her husband and a female relative, said: “I was in my house in Port Harcourt on April 30, 2019. I was alone with my children and my husband’s cousin. They were sleeping in the room.
“As I was washing my clothes, I was watching the programme. The main gate was locked, but the protector was open, since I had to go downstairs to get water.
“I was in the living room, when I noticed that the protector opened slightly. I was wondering, because if my husband returned from work, he would horn and I would have to go and open the main gate for him.
“I was wondering who was there. The other person who was supposed to come back from work was sleeping. The next thing I saw was the key to the main door opened.
“Then I saw two guys first, pointing a gun at me. One of them cocked the gun and he asked after my husband but I said he had not closed from work.
“He then angrily asked why he had not closed from work at that time. I told him I wouldn’t know. He asked me to cooperate otherwise they would finish me, saying they were not playing with me.”
She went on: “He asked of my ATM card and PIN. I gave him. He asked if I had money in the house I said no but I had gold, which could be sold for N50, 000 but they rejected it.
“One person took our television, another took the laptop. I was tying a wrapper with spaghetti top since I was in my house. They then asked me to follow them.
“They asked of my car’s key, I brought it out and I gave it to them. That was how they put me in my vehicle and as they were about to drive out, they found it difficult because of the space we share with our neighbour and they were hitting my neighbour’s fence.
“My neighbour came out and I said I was in trouble. Maybe he did not see me. The kidnappers put my head under the car’s seat and they drove off. I did not know the direction they followed.