One week after Oniba of Iba, Oba
Yushau Oseni, was freed by his abductors, the traditional ruler said his
abductors bought him drugs to ensure he remained healthy while being hold in
captive. Oniba of Iba, Oba Goriola Oseni Oniba of Iba, Oba Goriola Oseni The
monarch, who joined the crowd that thronged his Palace to participate in the
prayer session marking his safe return and continued protection added that he
was was wearing only a T-shirt and shorts when he was freed.
When Vanguard
visited the palace of the monarch, hundreds of sympathizers thronged the home of
the monarch who was kidnapped on Saturday, July 16 in his Palace. He was
abducted when he was about having his bath. He was set free last Saturday by
his abductors at about 7 pm after three weeks of abduction. Many of the
jubilant sympathizers were eating and drinking to celebrate the safe return of
the monarch from his captors who collected N15.1 before releasing him. Among
those who visited the Oniba was a state government delegation led by the
Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Muslim Folami. The
daughter of the monarch, Ms Dayo Oseni, who was elated in an interview with
Vanguard said, we are celebrating because we didn’t expect such a quick and
positive outcome. “Since his abduction, we were afraid that they could harm
him. Daily, we were engaged in prayers to ensure his safe return. “We are happy
because we were able to secure his release and that is worth celebrating. It
was God that did it not us; so we need to show our appreciation to God.” She
further disclosed that after realizing the state of the monarch’s health, “the
abductors bought him drugs to ensure he remained healthy throughout the three
weeks of his abduction to help him survive during the period.” Recounting his
three week ordeal at the hands of his abductors, Oba Oseni said he fainted
while in the den of his captors and sustained injuries to his leg. Prior to his
abduction, Vanguard gathered that the 73-year-old monarch was on medication,
prompting the family to change his room within the palace to where he could avoid
using the staircase daily. Oseni said: “On the fateful day of my abduction, I
was about taking my bath when I heard a loud noise from the living room, I went
to check the cause of the noise and was held. I was blindfolded and taken away
with their speed boat. “After leaving the Palace, they dragged me on the ground
to a waiting boat. The act led to injuries on my legs and other parts of my
body. While on the journey, it got to a stage I could not bear it any more; I
fainted. Realizing this, my abductors fetched water from the river and poured
it on me to revive me. When we got to the creek, we passed the night somewhere,
I was given food to eat and water to bathe.” Continuing, he said, “the
following day we proceeded on another journey through the waterways and we
finally arrived at another location within the creeks where I was taken to a
makeshift building where I spent the three weeks.” Furthermore, he said: “The
third day after my kidnap, my abductors contacted my children on phone, but
whenever they and my children did not reach agreement on the ransom they would
vent their anger on me. They threatened to kill me if my children did not bring
the ransom to them. With the assistance of God, my children, family and friends
were able to raise the first tranche of the ransom.” It was learned that the
family paid N12 million to the abductors but the ransom was handed over to the
kidnappers at Agbara axis of Ogun State. Confusion over ransom The
septuagenarian, however, disclosed that the first tranche of the ransom caused
confusion in the camp of his captors. He said: “The money (first tranche) later
created confusion within the camp because the leaders of my abductors went away
with the money leaving their subordinates out of the fund. “After the gang leader
had gone with the first ransom the junior ones came to me and said they have to
renegotiate with my children or else they will lock me up in a one of the rooms
in the building. My children also paid money twice.” Journey to freedom
Narrating how he reunited with his family, Oseni said: “On the Thursday before
my release, they gave me a phone to speak with my children to bring the second
tranche of the ransom. They assured them of the money. “Earlier on Saturday, I
was blindfolded, but suddenly that day they changed their minds about leaving,
because two of them had been arrested by the Police but I persuaded them and
that was how we set out in a speed boat with one canoe following us. At some
point, they asked me to go into the canoe which I did. They handed me the
paddler and I began to paddle the canoe. “When I got to a place in Akesan, I
parked somewhere and I prayed to God for guidance and then proceeded on the
journey not knowing that I was in Iba and started walking on the roadside. When
I asked some people where I was, I was told the place was Iba expressway that
was how two other boys who knew me in the community saw me and started shouting
my name. Infact, they accompanied me to ensure that I was reunited with my
family members.”
Source: Vanguard
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