A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Rofiat Lawal, who was abducted along the Benin-Ore Expressway last Tuesday, has revealed that her kidnappers threatened to force her into marriage and take her to Sokoto if her family failed to pay a ransom.
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Rofiat, who was on her way to her primary place of assignment in Oyo State from Edo State, was among six passengers kidnapped after gunmen attacked their vehicle. She disclosed that one of the abductors, believed to be Fulani, took her NYSC uniform and wore it.
Initially, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N20 million but later reduced it to N5 million after negotiations. A friend of Rofiat, identified as Agbakwara, had earlier raised the alarm about her abduction on Facebook. He later confirmed that her family secured her release after paying N1.1 million to an account purportedly belonging to another kidnapped victim’s family.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Sunday, Rofiat described how the kidnappers waylaid their vehicle near Ore, forcing the driver to stop after firing gunshots. They then led six of the ten passengers into the bush, seizing their valuables, including money and mobile phones.
“They searched us and took our phones and money. Some victims were traders and had between N600,000 and N1.2 million. I had only N15,000, which they also took. One of them took my NYSC uniform and wore it,” she recounted.
The victims endured long treks and harsh conditions, walking for seven hours on the first day before being allowed to rest.
“During the day, they would ask us to sit somewhere in the forest, and at night, we would start trekking again. That was how we spent the four days,” she narrated.
While she was spared from physical assault, unlike other victims, she said one of the kidnappers threatened to force her into marriage and relocate her to Sokoto.
“One of them said he would marry me if my family refused to pay the ransom. I was the youngest among those kidnapped, and they seemed more concerned about money than whether I was a corps member or not,” she said.
Rofiat said the kidnappers provided garri from a cooler they carried, which was the only food they had during captivity.
“The way they operated showed that they were well-prepared, and this was not their first time,” she noted.
Following her release, she has appealed to the NYSC for some time to rest and recover from the traumatic experience.
“The NYSC State Coordinator and my Local Government Inspector have called to check on me. I am asking for a few days to rest and get medical attention,” she pleaded.
Despite the ordeal, Rofiat affirmed that she does not regret joining the NYSC, stating, “What will happen will happen. Others kidnapped with me were not corps members.”
She expressed gratitude to her family for raising the ransom that secured her freedom.
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