A young member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) recently shared her harrowing experience of being abducted along the Benin-Ore Expressway. The corps member, Rofiat Lawal, revealed that her captors threatened to marry her off and take her to Sokoto if her family did not pay a ransom.
During the abduction, one of the abductors, who were identified as Fulani, even wore her NYSC uniform. Rofiat was taken while on her way to her primary assignment in Oyo State from Edo State. Initially demanding N20 million, the abductors eventually settled for N5 million after negotiations.
Rofiat’s friend, Agbakwara, raised the alarm on social media and shared that she was released after her family paid a ransom of N1.1 million. Recounting her ordeal, Rofiat mentioned that they were ambushed while traveling, with six out of ten passengers, including herself, being kidnapped and taken into the bush.
During the four days of captivity, the victims were subjected to physical abuse, with valuables such as money and phones being taken from them. Rofiat described how they were forced to trek through the bush for hours each day. Despite being threatened with forced marriage, she was fortunate not to have been severely tortured like some of the other victims.
Rofiat also revealed that the kidnappers provided them with garri to eat during their captivity. She expressed her desire for the NYSC to grant her some time to rest and recover from the traumatic experience. Despite the ordeal, she expressed gratitude to her family for securing her release.
In conclusion, Rofiat emphasized that she does not regret participating in the NYSC program and thanked her family for their support during the challenging time.