A harrowing account of kidnapping and survival has emerged from a recent incident in Benue State, where Mr. Asema Godwin Nemba, a resident of Gboko Local Government Area, was abducted by suspected bandits along the Makurdi-Naka road.
According to Mr. Nemba’s detailed narrative in a chat with The Voice, the incident occurred on Saturday, May 24, 2025, when he was travelling with Reverend Father Solomon Atongu to pick up an altar boy.
“We were kidnapped by bandits on Saturday. We were going to Naka from Makurdi to pick up the altar boy for Reverend Father Solomon Atongo. We reached Naka, and he picked up the boy. After spending some time, we were returning to Father Atongo’s parish at Jimba, which is along the Naka-Makurdi road
“On our way, suddenly, men emerged from all sides of the road, armed with AK-47s and wearing masks, while others were unmasked. They started shooting sporadically at us. Some were shooting from the rear, others from the front. The shooting was continuous. At one point, the priest was hit. He just said to us, “These people have shot me.” They came at us, thinking the priest was dead. They left him in the car and took two of us to the bush. The second person’s name is Isaiah Angbiandoo, the father’s altar boy”
Mr. Nemba recounted how the bandits took him and Isaiah Angbiandoo deep into the bush, trekking for over 25 kilometers to their camp near River Benue.
“The attack happened around 5 pm. We trekked till 12 midnight in the bush, covering a distance of about 25 to 30 kilometers. We went to a place they called Akpuru area, which is close to the River Benue bank. The place is completely deserted, with only a few houses and nobody living there except the bandits”.
The captors demanded ransoms, starting with N40 million, which was later negotiated down to N1.2 million for Isaiah’s release.
“They started negotiations for our release that same Saturday, demanding forty (40) million naira. We told them we were students and didn’t have money. They threatened to kill us if we didn’t pay. After some time, Isaiah Angbiandoo’s people informed the bandits that they had one million naira. The bandits insisted on 1.2 million naira and listed items to be brought with the money. The items included bread and cigarettes, worth fifty thousand naira, including dry gin. They directed the person bringing the money and items to a designated place. On Sunday evening, the money and items were delivered, and they released Isaiah. I was left alone with the bandits”.
After Isaiah’s family paid the ransom, Mr. Nemba was left alone with the bandits, who continued to demand money from his family. Despite the challenges and threats, Mr. Nemba’s brother negotiated his release for N250, 000
“They later started negotiations for my release, demanding money from my brother, Noah. Despite the challenges, my brother negotiated my release for two hundred and fifty thousand naira. I was eventually released and made my way to Naka, where I reported the incident to the police.
“The kidnappers were Fulani-speaking individuals, who communicated in Pidgin English and Hausa. They seemed to have a network outside their camp, as they had access to food and other items. I call on the government to step up their efforts and invest in technology to combat these challenges”.
The survivor decried the harsh conditions of his captivity, including forced labour, hunger and threats to his life. He also noted that the bandits seemed to have a sophisticated communication system, using stolen and victims’ SIM cards to contact their families.
