[Gossip] How My Friend Kidnapped & Sold Me To Ritualist For #150,000-Victim

 Hearing the story of kidnapped people for ritual
purposes or for a ransom is disturbing and many
just thank God it isn’t them and pray against it.

The truth however is that with dangerous elements
that carry out these dastardly acts roaming freely
amongst us, everyone is at risk. Here is the story
of a young man, Timothy Lawani, 25, a trader at
Suleja roundabout area, who was kidnapped for
ritual purpose but survived the ordeal.

Lawani, in an interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend,
said it was God that saved him after he was
kidnapped, tied up and was to be sacrificed in Kano.

The incident happened at about 4am on January 14,
2015. Lawani went outside his family house at Old
Barracks, Suleja to ease himself, when suddenly he
heard someone call his name.

Walking towards a red Volkswagen Golf parked
behind his house, he was surprised to see an old
friend, Friday, comfortably seated in the car
beckoning on him with two hefty men.

Narrating his story, Lawani said, “In my confused
state, I greeted them.

One of them held me and the other sprayed a
powder on my face.

That was the last thing I could remember. I later
saw myself in a very large hall with other young
men who were tied up.

The kidnappers kept bringing other people to join
us.

Sometimes, they even offered us food to eat which
we all refused. They then said, whether we ate or
not, we would die after all.

“After two days, we were made to put on white
apparels and join a queue. I noticed that anyone
who goes out never comes back; I was so scared.

When it was my turn, I went outside, saw a large
pool of water like swimming pool and a man
standing by the side chanting incantations.

He later ordered the guards to take me inside that
they were not in need of someone like me.”

Continuing, Lawani said, “In my presence, the man
called on Friday who came about 40 minutes later.
After telling him that I was not acceptable for their
rituals, Friday started flogging me mercilessly.

He then ordered the men to take me out, but not
before the ritualist got angry, and ordered the hefty
men to bring Friday for sacrifice in my place.

I heard him beg them to give him just 30 minutes to
enable him bring another person, but the man said
there was no time.

“With Friday’s hands and legs tied, the man began
chanting incantations again. This time, I saw
crocodiles coming out of the water.

Friday was then thrown inside, the reptiles feasted
on him. I was not myself because of the sight of
blood and how such large reptiles ate up a whole
human being.

The man later ordered the men to throw me out, that
I was useless to them.
They sprayed a powder on my face again and I
became unconscious.’’

On how he got back to his senses, Lawani recalled
that he was sheltered by a Hausa man who saw
him wandering in Gomoja area of Kano State.

After prayers were offered for him for about three
days, he regained consciousness but could not
speak.
It was then he wrote down his father’s phone
number which he easily remembered and with
which they used to reach his family, that had been
searching frantically for him.

LEADERSHIP Weekend later learnt from his elder
brother, Theophilus Lawani, that his friend sold him
to the kidnappers for N150,000. Theophilus further
revealed that before the Hausa man called them
from Kano, Lawani’s friend sent them several
messages, telling them to forgive him for selling his
friend.

“Even before we got the text from Friday, we
reported the case at A division Police Station in
Suleja, but the Policemen demanded the sum of
N70,000 in order to start investigation.
Since we do not have such amount, we resorted to
prayers, and God answered us. We have decided to
take my brother for further prayers in Kaduna,”
Theophilus stated.

All efforts by LEADERSHIP Weekend to speak with
the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of A Division was
futile as it was referred to the Public Relations
Officer (PRO) at the headquarters in Minna.

Meanwhile, a Police officer who pleaded anonymity,
said there have been several incidents of
kidnapping within and outside the state, but the
police have tried to curtail the rate by investigating
and arresting suspects.
Giving tips on how people could prevent themselves
from being kidnapped, he said, “People need to be
wary anywhere they are. An isolated target is
easier to pick up.
It is better for people to be strengthened by being in
groups. Hostage takers would have to work harder
to kidnap members of a group than to kidnap an
individual. People should also try to promptly report
any kidnap case around them to the nearest police
station.”

According to a security expert, Bashir Wole, people
should be very cautious whenever they come in
contact with any stranger.
“People ought to become more alert and discerning
to protect themselves from being kidnapped.

Government also needs to do more in terms of
detecting, arresting and punishing kidnappers, such
that the severity of the punishment would deter
others from engaging in such.

“There must be enforcement and punishment that
can deter people from going into kidnapping. If
people are punished, maybe by capital punishment,
others would conclude that it is not worth it.

The criminal justice system must work. The reason
kidnapping is lucrative in Nigeria is impunity; people
think they can do it and get away with the crime.

The fear of the grievous punishment should be such
that will keep people from further committing the
crime.”
The general public is advised to heed to advice from
security experts and the Police by being alert and
security conscious to avoid timothy’s experience.
We should all learn to be security conscious


wherever we goes.

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By GbeduXclusive Admin on Saturday, 4 July 2015