The kidnapped chairman of Ukum Local Government Area in Benue State, Rev. Gideon Haanongon, released on January 24, has shared his harrowing experience.
Troops from the 72 Special Force Battalion, part of the 401 Special Brigade led by Brig. Gen. A. Rabiu, successfully rescued Haanongon and his assistant from the kidnappers’ captivity.
The operation took place on Wednesday in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, between 5 and 6 pm, after the victims had been held for approximately two weeks.
The troops said they acted on a distress call, carried out a rescue mission and in the process destroyed three camps of the kidnappers.
“When we recovered him, we brought him down to our barracks in Makurdi. We administered first aid to him and also, gave him food to eat. He is in good condition,” the troops said.
While narrating his ordeal to reporters Rev. Haanongon said on that fateful day, he was on his way to attend the burial of the late Ter Katsina-Ala and around Anyagba, he came in contact with some strange boys who were shooting sporadically and even killed someone.
“At that point , I told my driver to stop the car and they took us straight into the bush.
“They covered my face throughout the period of my captivity. I did not know when it was day daytime or night. They kept us inside a thatched house without air.
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“Each day, the soldiers will come shooting but they maneuvered their way through a bush path and hid us inside a river. The soldiers destroyed their camps and they kept moving us to another place.
“At a point, they told me that these soldiers were disturbing them because of me and that the governor had appealed to them to release me and he would forgive them. They said I should tell the governor to keep to his words and get them out of the bush. So, at 8 pm on Wednesday, we crossed a stream and trekked a very long distance almost like from Makurdi to Abinsi and they removed the blindfold and asked me to take a path that leads to Zaki-Biam.
“But I recognized the village which is Tse Wombo because my daughter is married there. I must appreciate immensely the effort of the military because it was their persistent pressure that made the kidnappers release me. Also, the Special adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security Lt. Col. Alexander Igbaya Ashungu(rtd) played a significant role in my release.”
Speaking the Security Adviser Ashungu commended the military for their determination in ensuring the release of the council chairman. He assured Governor Alia was working hard to see that criminal did not have their way in the state.
He said the government was meeting with stakeholders to find solutions to criminalities and other vices.
The adviser equally disclosed that the military authority had rescued over 13 kidnapped victims of recent.
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