3 Kidnapped While Performing Sacrifice in Enugu River

In an incident at Ajalli River in the Ezeagu local government area of Enugu State, three young men from Akama Oghe community were kidnapped by gunmen suspected to be herders while performing a traditional sacrifice.

According to local sources, the victims had gathered at the river for a customary ritual when the armed assailants ambushed them. Fortunately, one of the victims managed to escape captivity in the early hours of Sunday, leading to the successful rescue of the remaining hostages late that same night.

A community leader, confirming the incident, highlighted the crucial role played by the escaped victim, who encountered operatives of the Forest Guard after fleeing the kidnappers. The subsequent intervention by security forces resulted in the rescue of the remaining captives near the RCC office along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.

The community leader stated, “They had gone to Ajalli to perform the sacrifice. It is what our people do. But, what they never envisaged was that the criminals were lurking around in the forest. So, they kidnapped them and marched them into the forest from where the other person escaped. We thank God for their safety. We thank our security men. They are doing well. Without them, police cannot operate successfully in this state.”

A video shared by vigilante operatives in the area featured an escaped victim, Chiemelie, recounting the harrowing experience. Chiemelie identified the perpetrators as Fulani individuals who spoke a combination of Fulani and Hausa. The victims were forced across the river and deeper into the forest, their motorbike confiscated by the gunmen. Chiemelie narrated his escape, emphasizing divine intervention, stating, “I had to escape when they asked us to lie down for two hours. Two of them chased me, but I continued and jumped into the muddy river. I stayed there inside the river for as long as I could until the gunmen turned back. I believe it was God that saved me.”

In a separate incident, police operatives from the Enugu State Command’s Hawk Tactical Squad successfully rescued travelers who had been kidnapped along Ette Road in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area while en route to Abuja. The abductions occurred between Thursday and Friday penultimate week, involving commercial buses traveling to and from Abuja, with the victims now safely liberated.