THE incident of kidnapping reared its ugly head recently in Ibadan, Oyo State, when a 40-year-old technician, Mr Taofeek Kareem, a resident of Imalefalafia Street, Oke Ado, fell victim.Kareem had on the day in question, told his wife that he was going to his working place, but unfortunately after the close of work, he did not return home, as he had been kidnapped by suspected rituals.Narrating his ordeal to the Nigerian Tribune, he said he had been contacted to repair a machine at Oluyole Estate extension, after examining the machine, he decided to move to Ogunpa Market for the necessary replacement of the damaged parts in the machine.According to him, he decided to have a stopover at his work place located at Police Post along Molete-Challenge road, from where he moved to the site. He left the site as soon as he finished the repair because he planned to travel to Kaduna with two other people later that day.Kareem, who was visibly in pains while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, said it did not occur to him that he would not return home to meet his family.He said he took a commercial motorcycle from the Oluyole Estate to Mobil Petrol Station, from where he planned to join a commercial bus that would take him to Molete. According to him, after waiting for a bus to Molete for at least one hour, he decided to board one going to Challenge with a view to joining another bus going to Molete. But this never happened.The victim, who disclosed that the driver had asked him to pay N30 for the ride from Mobil to Challenge, said that there were three people inside the vehicle including the driver, while a woman sat beside the driver.He said that between the High Court junction and Adeoyo roundabout, he became unconscious and could not explain anything until he found himself inside a bush near Ogere Remo in Ogun StateAccording to him, the last thing he could remember was that he boarded a commercial vehicle with Oyo State colour on Thursday and could not remember anything until the following Sunday when he found himself tied with rope in a bush.He said that when he opened his eyes, he discovered that he had been tied by unknown persons who decided to dump him inside the bush probably when they discovered that his spirit could not give them what they wanted, and he slept off again.Kareem said that it was when he woke up for the second time that he discovered that his handset and N30, 000 he had on him had been taken from him by his captors.He explained that after regaining consciousness the second time, he was confused as he did not know where he was or what he was doing there. While he was still thinking about how to solve the riddle of his being tied in a bush, a Hausa man emerged from nowhere inside the bush with a view to answer the call of nature but had to run away when he saw him, only to reappear again with another person.The Hausa man who, he later learnt was a truck driver, later reappeared with his motor boy who happened to be a Yoruba man. He managed to explain his ordeal to the Yoruba man all to no avail.He added that they later assisted him to remove the rope and all efforts to know how he got to the bush proved abortive, 'As I was still weak and could not talk.'I was with them till the following day when efforts were made to get in touch with my family, especially my wife. When we could not get anybody, they dropped me at the Ibadan toll gate from where I trekked to my shop located at Police Post bus stop,' he said.He added that, 'When I arrived, there was curiosity as to my disappearance for four days and my reappearance as family members, friends and colleagues were said to have been looking for me, they were even planning to report in the police station as well as making efforts to consult spiritualists before I resurfaced. When I narrated my story, my people were full of thanks to God for sparing my life, saying not everybody that falls into the hands of ritual killers have a story that ends like my own.
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