A couple, Mr and Mrs Sanusi Kehinde, have narrated their harrowing experience in the hands of suspected kidnappers before they were rescued by operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, during a late-night operation in Ondo State.
The victims were reportedly abducted around 6:30 p.m. shortly after arriving at their residence in the Ilu-Abo community when armed men allegedly ambushed them.
Speaking after regaining freedom, Mr Kehinde said the attackers had laid siege to their home before they arrived and struck immediately he attempted to alight from their vehicle.
“We got home at Ilu-Abo and unknown to us, the kidnappers had already been waiting for us.
As I was trying to come out of the vehicle, they attacked and abducted us,” he recounted.
According to him, the gunmen dragged them into a nearby forest after assaulting them, leaving him with machete wounds and other injuries.
Describing the incident as traumatic, Kehinde commended the swift intervention of Amotekun operatives, saying his wife was rescued barely minutes after the attack was reported.
“The way Amotekun acted was amazing. In less than 10 minutes, they rescued my wife.
The commander himself was in the bush during the operation,” he said.
He further disclosed that after his eventual rescue, he received medical treatment free of charge at the Amotekun clinic.
“They treated me at the Amotekun clinic free of charge and even served me tea and biscuits.
I appreciate the corps commander, his men and the Ondo State Government for supporting them,” he added.
Kehinde also expressed gratitude to traditional rulers in Ilu-Abo and Alayere communities, local hunters and residents who assisted during the rescue efforts.
Mrs Kehinde, while recounting her ordeal, said four armed men surrounded their vehicle shortly after they arrived in the community from Oba-Ile.
She explained that the kidnappers pointed a double-barrel gun at her and dispossessed them of their valuables before forcing them into the bush.
“They collected my money and beat me with wood while forcing us through the bush,” she said.
According to her, hope came when they sighted local hunters and Amotekun operatives close to a road, prompting her to raise the alarm.
“That was when they rescued me and took me to the palace where I was treated at a health centre. I kept crying because I had not seen my husband, but the commander assured me that he would also be rescued,” she said.
Mrs Kehinde added that she spent the night praying before learning the following morning that her husband had also been rescued safely.
She appreciated Amotekun operatives, local hunters, traditional rulers and the Ondo State Government for their roles in securing their release.