Kidnappers were young Fulani boys- freed ACPN chairman

yinka ogunlami

December 8, 2015 5:33 PM

The National Chairman of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria and, Alhaji Ganiyu Galadima, said that the persons who kidnapped him were young Fulani boys.

Alhaji Gniyu Galadima, chairman of ACPN

Ganiyu Galadima, the presidential candidate of (ACPN) in 2015 general elections, who has been kidnapped on Friday along with two other women was released on Sunday after the demanded ransom was paid by their families.

Galadima, while speaking with a news agency after release said that the kidnappers were 15 young Fulani boys who were of the age between 25 and 35 years.

Read: British couple jailed for keeping Nigerian as slave for 24 years

The ACPN boss explained the process of their abduction, their travel and the final release.

He said that before kidnapping the selected candidates they have robbed everyone present.

“We were robbed while on my way to attend the burial of my brother in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State. We were first stopped and robbed in a commando-like manner. After being robbed, some of us were selected for abduction, and marched to the forest at gunpoint. After trekking for about 12 kilometres, we were informed that N40m must be paid before our release” Galadima said.

Speaking about the travel and their way of treatment, Galadima disclosed some interesting facts about their identity and about beating him when called by police.

Read: Police arrest 8 persons over alleged attack on Governor Al-Makura

“Somebody called my line and introduced himself as a police officer. When they heard it, they beat hell out of me. They were asking me, ‘so you be policeman?’ They were after the ransom so much that they were prepared to do anything. It was God that saved me. I expected that the police would explore the service provider to track us down. But nothing like that was done. The kidnappers provided us with food like boiled yam. They went to the stream to fetch water for us to drink. They were 12 to 15 young Fulani boys between the ages of 25 and 35. Some of them spoke good English.”

It wasn’t easy. In the last 50 hours, I trekked over 40 kilometres in the bush. They put fear in us to get the ransom and later we became friends. I was released about five kilometres to Kabba junction in Lokoja.

The other women who were kidnapped were also coming from Abuja to attend the burial of their cousin. They were also released after paying ransom.

yinka ogunlami