How My Friend Kidnapped & Sold Me To Ritualists For N150,000 – 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.

Source: Leadership