Wisdom Amedu, a 32-year-old farmer and writer, has spoken out about the terrifying night he and his family were abducted by heavily armed kidnappers in Ekpoma, Edo State. In a chilling revelation, Amedu disclosed that a serving soldier was part of the gang that attacked his home, inflicted machete wounds on him, and demanded a ransom of N20 million.
The Night of Terror
On March 17, 2025, Amedu had just returned from his farm in Emu and settled in for the night with his wife when chaos erupted around 1:00 am. The barking of their dogs, followed by gunshots, was the first sign of danger. Armed men stormed into their apartment, shooting one of the dogs, breaking down the door, and violently dragging Amedu from his bedroom.
“They whipped me with machetes, tied me up, and kept asking for money,” he said. “They assumed I was rich because of my solar installation.”
Brutal Treatment and Disturbing Revelations
Amedu’s wife and driver were also captured. The attackers, numbering eight, were armed with guns and machetes. They carted away Amedu’s car, his landlord’s SUV, and drove the victims deep into the bush. It was later revealed that the original target was the landlord, who escaped by jumping over a fence while under fire.
“They came for his Mercedes M-Class,” Amedu recalled. “They already had a buyer, a driver, and even a soldier to move the vehicle to Okene.”
According to Amedu, one of the kidnappers wore combat trousers and boots. Initially suspected to be a police officer, it was later confirmed during the criminals’ confession that the man was an active-duty soldier.
Torture and Injections in Captivity
The kidnappers beat Amedu mercilessly and inflicted several machete cuts, even urinating on his wounds. They injected the victims with unknown substances—three injections for Amedu, two for his driver Ochuko, and one for his wife.
“They moved us to an uncompleted building. I lost consciousness and only woke up in the hospital,” he recounted.
The kidnappers forced Amedu’s wife to give up her ATM PIN and demanded money from his mother, who had already transferred N1 million while listening to her son scream in pain during a call.
A Timely Rescue
Unknown to the kidnappers, Amedu’s mother had alerted the military. Soldiers patrolling Ekpoma spotted Amedu’s stolen vehicle and apprehended one of the suspects en route to Okene. The military team later rescued Amedu, his wife, and his driver from the uncompleted building.
Living in Fear
Though the family was rescued within seven hours, the trauma has left deep scars.
“I can’t sleep. I check the windows constantly. We moved out of the apartment even though the rent hasn’t expired. I live in fear,” Amedu admitted. “The experience broke me.”
A Nation in Peril
Amedu’s account highlights the deepening insecurity in Nigeria and raises concerns about the infiltration of criminal elements into the armed forces.
“We are not safe. If a soldier can be part of a kidnap gang, who do we trust?” he asked.
He remains open to speaking publicly to raise awareness but fears the consequences, as several kidnappers are still at large.
“If we hadn’t been rescued, we would have been killed. No doubt about it.”
All Times Global Magazine remains committed to amplifying the voices of survivors and shedding light on the state of insecurity plaguing communities across Nigeria.
