Recently released human rights lawyer Mike Ozekhome (SAN) was talking to journalists recently and shared his experience of being kidnapped and his conversation with his kidnappers.He said: I was kidnapped on the 23rd of August when I was traveling in the middle of the afternoon about just past 2pm on my way from Benin. I can say that certainly I was not targeted. I just happened to run into the kidnapper's trap.
This is the true danger that all Nigerians face." "The kidnappers told me that they must get what society owes us and that they are graduates and have dependents and others needs to take care of. I must say that the kidnappers were speaking perfect English and appeared to be very educated."
"It was a horrific experience. Spine chilling, physically debilitating, and mentally shattering. This was the experience at the detention center where the kidnappers kept us. Every day at the detention center, there were threats from the kidnappers saying they would kill us and chop us up and send body parts to our family.
They said they would make it so the Nigerian state would know there is no security "The day after we were kidnapped, they came to us and said do you have someone you wish to contact. I said my wife and my friend. The kidnappers then brought my phone and told me to point out the numbers, which I did. The kidnappers contacted my wife and friend and finally I was able to speak to my wife after 3 days."
The kidnappers came to me and said that my family must pay N850 million naira to have you released. I told them that my family nor friends have any money like that The place where we were kept was wet, dirty, and smelly and very hot. After almost a week, one of the kidnappers final came to the room and opened a window so that we might get fresh air. Unfortunately, there was a colony of mosquitos in the area that feasted on us over night. This caused us to get malaria.
The kidnappers told us that a doctor would come and give us drugs, which they did finally and we started to stabilize. On Sept. 5th I fell very ill and the kidnappers have to bring back their doctor. I had to get two injections to treat for malaria and typhoid. It was very traumatic.
I can tell that you the kidnappers are very organized segment of society. There were no less than 25 people guarding us at all times with large automatic weapons.
They said they were able to take on a whole battalion of security forces. The kidnappers made it clear that they were holding me for money. These were youths of Nigeria and that during the next election they said it would be very violent, as they would come out and fight all these politicians.
The kidnappers told me that the if the government sets up an amnesty program they would come out and give up their weapons. Some of them said they have been unemployed for 5 years or more after having finished university
"The kidnappers told me that if they can control some parts of Nigeria, then it would prove that Nigeria will be broken into units under control of different groups. They said currently we control numerous highways and forests throughout the country.
This was shocking to me as a theory as a way that the country might break down.
source: nigerianeye
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