Felix Olise/
A Nigerian man took to Twitter on Tuesday to recount his near death bexperience in the hands of Fulani Kidnappers in Benin, Edo State.
The victim, with the Twitter name, Mark Emmanuel, and handle @AmechiMark, wrote:
ON MY WAY TO WARRI
Friday 19th, February.
It was just a very normal early morning, but with a little bit of excitement in the air.
I and my family just moved in to our new apartment after making all necessary financial and legal agreements, cleaning and unpacking. As a matter of fact, Thursday night was the first night we slept together in the new apartment.
So I was supposed to stay much much longer in bed so as to catch up with my strength.
But I had to make this one necessary trip to Warri.
A lot of people who know me didn’t know I have relocated to Lagos.
Having secured a new apartment, I needed to go back to Warri to pick up some of my household stuff, return, settle and get back to work.”
THE JOURNEY
In Nigeria, When you are about to hit the highway on a trip; especially with your own car, alone, you want to first settle in your subconscious that you will be meeting over 20 police, FRSC, Army and Customs checkpoints.
So your particulars must be intact, or else…
As early as 5:30 am I was already on lekki Epe expressway.
The moment I made it past Ijebu Ode, like role calls, I had already gone past 3 checkpoints and faced with the ones ahead.
As I made it through the last one, where I was delayed for over 20 minutes, I just called my wife and informed her that I’m entering the Benin Bypass.”
FULANI KIDNAPPERS
About 1:15 pm. For those who know the Benin bypass area well, I had barely made the round turn coming from Benin Ore expressway to settle on my speed ahead; when I heard what seemed like a car tyre burst.
It sounded quiet but repeatedly so I looked at my rear mirror and in front to be sure.
I also observed the other cars in front of me hitting the breaks in very swift succession.
So I knew we all heard the sound.
I had to also apply my break thinking something is happening up ahead.
But no, it’s already happening in my very before.
As I looked to my left I just saw 4 gunmen coming out of the bushes, heavily armed with sharp machetes and AK47s.
Several rounds where shot in the air.
There were two of them already in our front and back with 4 cars: mine, a Mercedes in my front and two trucks, trapped in the middle.
As the gunmen came close, the Mercedes car just picked up acceleration and made a swerve into the Bush on the right.
Immediately I heard a voice that ordered one to follow the car as if they knew he had nowhere to run to.
As one of them was coming close to me I could see the one that seemed to be the leader speaking with the drivers of the two trucks in the Hausa language.”
He then told his men to let them go. By now I was out of my car with both my hands raised up and one entered into my car and was just searching everywhere.
OK, everything was just happening very fast that I wasn’t able to first comprehend the entire situation.
I just knew at that moment that I was out of my car, lying face down on the road with a machine gun pointed at me, and someone else is in my car searching it.
In my mind, I just assumed that these guys will just search my car, maybe take whatever they want and let me go.
What was I thinking?
What can I even think at that moment?”
As my mind was going through this confusion, I just heard the leader say “take this one inside, he has a family; they’ll pay for him”.
“What?! Did I just hear “take him inside…., pay for him”?
Immediately I heard the tall one close to me saying I should get up or he’ll shoot me.
So quickly replied in the Hausa language that he shouldn’t shoot me that I’ll cooperate.
He then asked me to put my hands slowly inside my pocket and empty it.
As I was about to do that, he warned me that if I make a foul move, “one bullet to your head”.
He took the money with me and threw away my wallet without considering anything else inside.
He then faced the gun at me and in a very malicious tone, said: “oya, dey go inside now or I fire you!”.
Turning towards the forest where he’s directing me to enter, I just said to myself, “that’s Fulani accent!”. It was at this point it became dawn on me that I have been Kidnapped by Fulani bandits.”
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