Narrates How 30 Victims Were Kept For Ritualists
Daud Olatunji
In a gripping narrative of courage and resilience, Eniola Popoola, fondly known as Iya Oyo, shares her harrowing experience of escaping a kidnapping incident on the Oyo-Iseyin road.
The middle-aged rice trader, determined to overcome adversity, takes us through the twists and turns of her ordeal, highlighting the strength of the human spirit.
Eniola’s journey began on March 5, 2023, during a challenging no-cash period. Faced with the rejection of old currency notes in Oyo state, she ventured to Iseyin to purchase rice for her business.
Little did she know that this decision would lead her into the clutches of kidnappers and ritualists.
Describing the chaotic scene, she recalls boarding an 18-passenger bus, believing it was from a park.
Armed individuals soon revealed themselves, and the victims, including pregnant women, found themselves in an undisclosed location near Ore, Ondo State.
Eniola’s resilience shines through as she narrates the kidnappers’ ruthless actions, with doctors attending to pregnant captives.
Despite pleas for ransom, the kidnappers insisted their victims were more valuable than any monetary sum.
The intensity of the situation deepened as Eniola and another victim were warned not to drink the provided garri but to pretend.
Subsequently, a mysterious substance rendered everyone unconscious.
Rescue came in the form of a man who, risking his own safety, helped Eniola escape.
However, the aftermath brought new challenges. Facing severe debts, loss to robbers, and her family becoming collateral for loans, Eniola contemplated suicide.
In a dramatic turn of events, a fellow resident, Ademola Boluwatife, intervened just in time, saving her from the brink of despair.
Eniola’s story transcends the horrors of her past, evolving into a testament of survival, community support, and the indomitable will to rebuild against all odds.
She narrates “ my name is Eniola Popoola, popularly known as Iya Oyo. On March 5, 2023, I became a victim of kidnappers and ritualists on the Oyo-Iseyin road.
“It was during the no-cash period when I went to Iseyin, and the rice traders were rejecting old money. I had N2 million, with N1.2million in old money and N800,000 in new money.
“This financial challenge pushed me to travel to Iseyin to buy bags of rice, realizing the difference was N500 after considering transportation.
“As I was returning to Oyo from Iseyin, I took a bike and requested to be taken to the park for a bus. I insisted on avoiding buses on the roadside.
“ An 18-passenger bus appeared behind us, and the bike rider assured me it was from the park. I entered the bus, and soon, chaos erupted as armed individuals revealed themselves.
“Our clothes were torn to cover our faces tightly, limiting blood flow. Later, we were put on motorcycles and taken to an undisclosed location, where we were chained and abandoned in a house.
“ The surroundings were unfamiliar, in a bush, with numerous victims, including children and pregnant women. We were 30 in the place.
“The kidnappers had doctors attending to pregnant women. They refused ransom, claiming we were more valuable than money.
“A man, resembling a politician, arrived and engaged me in coded language.
“Another man who came with the politician came towards me and asked if I recognized him, repeatedly questioning me.
“ Another victim pleaded with me to claim him as my younger brother if we were rescued. The man unchained us, and when questioned, I asserted the young man was my brother.
“ We were warned about not drinking the provided garri but pretending to do so. Eventually, we were touched with a substance, and everyone appeared unconscious.
“Later, the man who rescued us asked us to run for our lives in the bush. I managed to call my family, and I was in Ore, Ondo state.
“ Weeks later, back at my shop, I faced severe debts, lost everything to robbers, and my family became collateral for loans.
“ Distraught, I contemplated suicide, having lost hope and facing humiliation from lenders.
“A man who claimed to rescue me approached me at my food canteen, revealing he had been hunted by his colleagues and had to relocate his family to Libya.
“He requested N1.5 million from me, promising not to disturb me again.
“Overwhelmed and desperate, I wrote a suicide note and sold everything.
“However, Ademola Boluwatife, one on the residents of my area, intervened as I was about to consume the substance, saving me from the brink of despair.”
Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
