By: Manoah Kikekon
In a gripping and emotional revelation, a farm manager has broken his silence regarding his harrowing abduction in Ekiti State, providing a rare and terrifying glimpse into the operations of kidnapping syndicates in Southwest Nigeria.
The survivor, who shared his story on the popular Honest Bunch podcast, detailed the events of October 2025, describing a journey characterized by extreme violence, psychological torture, and the grim reality of life in a forest "den." His account has reignited discussions regarding the escalating insecurity and the brutal tactics employed by bandits in the region.
The ordeal began abruptly while the victim was overseeing operations as a farm manager. He recounted how armed bandits stormed the location with terrifying speed, immediately utilizing lethal force to establish control. One of his colleagues was shot twice—once in the stomach and once in the chest—an event that shifted the victim’s reality into a state of pure survival.
"I thought it was a joke," he recalled. "Immediately, I started urinating on myself. I thought, 'So this is the way I’m going to die as well.' I couldn't stop shivering." The sheer brutality of the initial attack was designed to break the spirits of the captives instantly.
Perhaps the most haunting aspect of his story was the kidnappers' total lack of regard for human life. Shortly after the shooting, the victim and three other young men were forced to perform a gruesome task: moving the body of the man who had been shot.
"They told us we should dispose of his body in the bush. We took the body while he was still vomiting blood," he shared. This forced participation in the aftermath of a killing served as a psychological weapon, reinforcing the kidnappers' threat that he would face a similar fate if their demands were not met.
Once in the forest, the kidnappers issued their ultimatum. The victim was ordered to contact his family and demand ₦55 million for his freedom. The instruction was clear: the money was the only thing standing between him and a shallow grave in the bush.
This high-value demand highlights the economic motivations behind the kidnapping industry, where human lives are traded like commodities, and families are pushed to the brink of financial ruin to save their loved ones.
The survivor's account also shed light on a "viral" abduction involving a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) congregation. On the evening of his first day in captivity, the camp swelled as 38 new victims were marched in, including elderly women, young children, and men.
"One of the ladies told me they were just at church," he explained. "They were mid-service when they started hearing shots and were taken." This massive influx of captives turned the forest den into a crowded camp of terror, where different groups of victims found themselves united by a shared tragedy.
The 38 church members spent approximately five days in the den before their sudden release. While the official stance of many governments is a "no-ransom" policy, the survivor revealed a claim made by an "errand boy" associated with the kidnappers.
According to this source, the 38 captives were released after the Kwara State government reportedly paid a staggering ₦350 million. While these claims remain unverified by official state spokespersons, the survivor noted that the information came from a Fulani boy within the gang who had become somewhat "friendly" with the captives.