Following recent raids by Fulani herdsmen in various communities around Delta State, a lady in her twenties has recounted her experience while in the custody of the herdsmen.
The story as reported by some newsmen contains all that transpired between the young lady and the herdsmen.
According to the lady, she was raped and asked to drink human blood in place of water. She was released after her people paid an undisclosed sum as ransom.
The story reads:
“My name is Victoria Okocha. I am from Ubulu-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government of Delta State. Last Friday night we were traveling from Ubulu-Uku to Asaba via Ogwashi-Uku. Suddenly we saw ahead of us a fallen tree across the road. This was at Isa-Ogwashi just before you enter Ogwashi-Uku. We thought it was the rain that fell the tree but when we drove close, the person in the passenger seat in front of the vehicle said it looked like what robbers used to block the road.
“As we wanted to reverse, one of the assailants, a kidnapper, emerged from the bush, hit the window of the driver’s seat and tried to drag the driver out of the vehicle. Some other passengers jumped out and ran into the bush. I wanted to run but I developed muscle cramp and fell and that’s how they got me. They took me into the bush that night.
“They were five in number. They cut the driver out of our car with machete but he escaped with injuries. They demanded for N20 million as ransom. I told them I am from a poor family and we cannot afford such amount. They threatened to cut my breast and pluck my eyes if my people refused to pay, saying that breasts and eyes give them more money nowadays. I became friendly with their leader, who was the only one that speaks English. They said they will rape me and five of them took turns to rape me that night. My hands were tied, they blindfolded me and I was very weak and hungry.
“I told them I have a family member I can call, so I called the person (Afamefune) who answered and said there is no way he could raise such amount. They reduced it to N5m but I begged them to accept anything even if it is N100,000. They said they cannot release me without taking anything from me. They still threatened to cut my breast and pluck my eyes.
“I was with them in the bush for two days. Later my people were able to raise some money in N500 notes which they dropped for them according to their instruction. Then I did not know how much it was. They asked me if the money was fake notes and I told them it was real. Then I remembered I had N3000 in N500 notes in my bag. I told them and they brought out my N3000 and gave me back N1000.
“That morning that they collected the ransom, they killed a girl in my presence and they were roasting her body to eat. They offered me the blood of the girl to drink but I declined. They said they have no water to give me. They themselves were drinking the blood of the girl.
“So, after collecting my money, their leader said they wanted to kill me but that he will help me to escape. He started giving them instruction in their Fulani language and all four left the place. I guess they went to fetch water because of what they were carrying. Then their leader untied me and asked me to run away.
I ran and entered a road I didn’t know where it was leading me to. I came back and suddenly I saw a vehicle and I narrated my ordeal to them. They too have heard of the kidnap because they were from my town. They asked if I was the person that was kidnapped and I told them yes. That’s how they helped back to my town.
“The kidnappers even pursued the vehicle when they saw us going but the driver sped off.”
Meanwhile, at the time of filing this report, the Fulani herdsmen are still walking freely as nothing is being done by the Delta State government to stop their menace.
Nwada Ugochinyere Onyechere reporting, Obinwannem News
