Marvelous Omobobola, a student studying Agricultural Engineering at Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, has shared her chilling account of hearing kidnappers engaging in the illicit trade of human body parts during her time in captivity.
During an interview with PUNCH, Omobobola recounted the incident when she, along with two other individuals, was abducted on their way back to the hostel from school.
According to her, the abduction occurred in the late afternoon on an unspecified day. Omobobola explained that she had gone to school to obtain her SIWES (Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme) letter, which required a logbook. However, due to the absence of the person responsible for issuing the logbook, she had to return home. Consequently, she boarded a tricycle (locally known as a Keke) near the school gate to reach her hostel in Odogunyan. Three of them sat in the backseat, while the driver and another person occupied the front. As they encountered traffic, the kidnappers claimed to know a shortcut to Odogunyan, leading them astray.
They found themselves in an unfamiliar location, inside a bus, without comprehending how they had arrived there. The kidnappers demanded her phone, account number, and the ATM card she had with her. Omobobola complied and the kidnappers withdrew all the money in her account after coercing her to reveal the PIN.
Under duress, she was forced to provide her phone’s password, as well as her BVN number. The captors interrogated her about her place of residence, her parents’ occupation, and her elder brother’s job. They inquired about potential individuals she could contact to arrange for ransom payment. Distressed, she informed them that her parents were economically disadvantaged. Subsequently, the kidnappers contacted her mother and demanded a ransom.
During her confinement, Omobobola was isolated in a room and instructed to sit on a cement block overnight. Peering through the window, she observed a desolate environment filled with bushes and scattered broken bottles. Cement blocks were also visible in the vicinity. On Sunday afternoon, while being moved, she noticed the presence of buildings as they approached a road, although she remained unaware of the specific location.
Although the total number of captives eluded her memory, Omobobola estimated that there were approximately 20 individuals present.
The kidnappers ordered them to undress, directing each person to a specific room once they were nude. However, upon seeing a cross on Omobobola’s waist, one of the kidnappers questioned her affiliation with the Celestial Church of Christ. Confirming her membership twice, they redirected her to a different room, which heightened her fear as she pondered the possibility of being targeted for harm.
At a later point, two kidnappers approached Omobobola and inquired about her state of origin and hometown. She disclosed that she hailed from Akure, Ondo State. Interestingly, one of the kidnappers claimed to be from the same area. They promptly called her mother, urging her to pay the ransom before the arrival of someone referred to as Alhaji. Curiously, Omobobola never encountered this individual during her captivity.
Within the vicinity, she witnessed individuals extracting human body parts, presumably to sell them. As they moved the undressed victims to a second room, she noticed bloodstains on the floor and walls near the entrance. Each time the door opened, it swiftly closed again.
Her recollection becomes hazy after being inside the tricycle (Keke Marwa) and questioning the kidnappers about their chosen route. The next thing she knew, she found herself inside the bus, with no awareness of how she had arrived there.
The kidnappers issued threats indicating they would return her to the location where people were being killed if her mother failed to provide the ransom promptly. They cautioned her to pray that her mother could gather the required funds in time. Over the phone, they menaced her mother when she explained their financial difficulties and mentioned her involvement in menial jobs to support the family. Upon learning that her mother possessed only N4,000 (Nigerian currency), the kidnappers callously instructed her to use the money to purchase a coffin for her daughter.
After the final call between the kidnappers and her mother, they released Omobobola in the afternoon. She was driven to Mile 2 in a bus, where she noticed a signboard displaying the destination’s name. From there, she boarded a bus to Oshodi, eventually finding her way back to Ikorodu.
In a touching gesture, her mother informed her that the kidnappers had contacted her to request money for her daughter’s transportation. It was a relative from Akure who sent N5,000 to Omobobola’s account.
Two other individuals, a lady and a fair-skinned man, were also singled out during the ordeal, but Omobobola remains unsure of their fate. The kidnappers utilized a commercial yellow bus to avoid arousing suspicion. Remarkably, all the phone calls made during the incident were conducted using Omobobola’s number, and the ransom payments were collected through her bank account, employing a POS machine.
Regarding her treatment during captivity, she was offered food consisting of rice, Fanta, and water, but she refused to eat, consumed by tears and distress. It remains uncertain whether the other captives received food.
Throughout her captivity, she was confined to a corner of a room with broken windows, a rough floor, and a roof riddled with holes. Two kidnappers carried firearms, while the others brandished machetes and daggers. The two individuals armed with machetes took turns guarding her.
