By Abdul Babajide Alhaji Ibrahim Bodunde, the Chief Imam of Uso in Owo Local Council of Ondo State, has provided a detailed account ...
By Abdul Babajide
Alhaji Ibrahim Bodunde, the Chief Imam of Uso in Owo Local
Council of Ondo State, has provided a detailed account of the traumatic
experiences he endured while being held captive by kidnappers.
The 67-year-old imam, who was kidnapped a few days ago while
tending to his farm at Asolo Camp, shared the horrifying details of his
abduction on Tuesday at the Police headquarters in Akure, Ondo State capital.
According to Bodunde, his captors expressed anger and
frustration upon discovering his inability to communicate in English during
their interrogations.
The Islamic cleric, while recounting his time in the
kidnappers’ den, revealed that he was subjected to relentless physical assault
as a result.
Bodunde was kidnapped in the community while working on his
farm.
The kidnappers demanded a staggering N10 million ransom for
the release of the revered imam. Eventually, after negotiations and immense
pressure on his family, a sum of two million naira was paid as ransom.
Following the payment, the captors reluctantly led Bodunde
back to his farm, where he was finally freed.
Recalling the grueling journey he was forced to endure,
Bodunde disclosed that he was made to trek tirelessly for six arduous hours
through dense forest before reaching the kidnappers’ hideout.
“When we arrived at their den, they put my back to a tree
and tied my hands to my back. My legs were also tied. They (the kidnappers) did
not give me food or water for 48 hours.
“Before I was kidnapped, they had information about me as
they reeled out my dossier to me.
“They insisted that I should speak to them in pidgin English
and not Yoruba. Each time I mistakenly speak Yoruba, I will be beaten
mercilessly, ” he recounted.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Funmilayo
Odunlami-Omisanya, disclosed that the police had successfully apprehended the
suspects involved in the abduction.
According to Odunlami-Omisanya, the incident was reported on
the 18th of June, 2023, when Mrs Bodunde, the wife of the victim, visited the
Uso Police division around 6 pm.
“Upon arriving at the farm, they discovered Bodunde’s car
and mobile phone, but the Chief Imam was nowhere to be found.
“The police swiftly launched an investigation upon receiving
the report, and their efforts led to the safe release of Bodunde, ” he stated.
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