Kidnap survivor recounts starvation, torture in Ondo forest

By Boye Oyeyemi

Bayo Omoniyi, a kidnapping survivor, has recounted the harrowing experience he endured while being held captive by his abductors in a forest in Ifira, Akoko South-East Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Western Post reported last Friday that Omoniyi regained his freedom after escaping from the kidnappers who held him captive for five days.

Omoniyi said his captors subjected him to severe physical abuse, forced him and other victims to trek long distances and repeatedly threatened to kill them during their captivity.

He said the victims were also exposed to harsh weather conditions, as the abductors left them to spend nights in the open, including during rainfall.

According to him, food was scarce in the forest, with the captives sometimes surviving on only small quantities of garri. He added that the combination of hunger, exhaustion and harsh conditions left them physically weak.

“While in the forest, they beat me thoroughly and made us trek long distances until we became weak and exhausted,” Omoniyi recounted.

He said the threats and abuse had left him traumatised, adding that he would not easily forget what he experienced in the forest. “There were occasions when they threatened to kill me. What I went through in that forest is something I will not easily forget,” he said.

Omoniyi, who has since returned to his home in Ipinran, Ifira Akoko, urged the government to strengthen security measures and impose tougher punishment on kidnappers to deter others.