Enugu Kidnap Victim Dies of Shock After Rescue in Benue Forest

A woman abducted in Enugu State has tragically died from shock shortly after being freed from her captors.

Agnes Obetta, a 50-year-old resident of Ezimo in Udenu Local Government Area, was among 14 victims rescued by the Nigerian Army on Friday, December 5, during an operation in Orokam Forest, Benue State, near the Enugu border. Seven of those rescued were kidnapped while returning from a burial in Ezimo, while the remaining eight, including two from the neighboring Umuosigide community, were taken from surrounding areas.

Family sources reported that Obetta died after her kidnappers received a ransom for her release. Soon after being freed, gunshots erupted near the bush where the captives had been held, forcing them to flee for safety. By the time the group regrouped to return home, Obetta was missing.

Her son and other relatives found her unconscious the next day and rushed her to a hospital in Orokam. She was later referred to another facility in Obollo-Afor due to complications, including extremely high blood pressure. Despite doctors’ efforts, she did not survive.

Reports indicate that the victims were poorly fed while in captivity. Hillary Onah, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party in Udenu, called for a full account of the circumstances surrounding Obetta’s death. He noted that her eldest son remained with the kidnappers when the gunfire erupted, causing the captors to flee with the ransom and leaving the victims to escape amid the chaos.