Kidnap Survivor Shares His Ordeal in Edo and Kogi States

A young man heading to the National Youth Service Corps, Ibi Philip, has shared how he and 11 other people were kidnapped in Edo State. They were taken into a forest in Kogi State for over a week. At first, the kidnappers wanted a ransom of N50 million.

Philip said the kidnappers later reduced the amount to N30 million, then N20 million, and finally N10 million as their families struggled to gather the money.

In a post on Facebook on Sunday, Philip explained that he was on a Benue Links Nig. Ltd. bus to the NYSC orientation camp in Akure, Ondo State, on September 30, 2026. The bus was attacked at Ibilo, Edo State.

He mentioned that the driver and two other passengers managed to escape, while the remaining 12 people were taken away towards Okene, Kogi State.

The captives had to walk through the savannah for days. They slept on the ground and on rocks, faced heavy rain, and lived on very little food while their captors kept them in the bush.

Philip explained that talks for their release started on Friday, October 2. The kidnappers let them call their families for the first time.

He called his father, Chief Sunday Ibi, and his former course representative at Benue State University, Ols Sally Sewuese Ukule, to tell them what happened.

"I told them the kidnappers were demanding ₦50 million as ransom. The amount was later reduced to ₦30 million, but that was where the negotiations ended that night," he said.

Philip said his father, relatives, friends, and other concerned people quickly started working to raise the money.

"My father did everything he could. He barely rested as he desperately tried to find a way to bring me home safely," he stated.

The kidnappers dropped the ransom demand to N20 million and then to N10 million. Philip said whenever they spoke with their families, the calls were on loudspeaker so the kidnappers could listen.

"We were only allowed to speak English. We were asked how much our people had been able to raise," he mentioned.

He said the kidnappers got angry when his father said he had raised N500,000.

"At one point, I called my father, and he told me he had ₦500,000. The kidnappers became angry because they wanted to hear millions, not thousands. That day, I was severely beaten," he recalled.

Philip added that his father later told him he had raised N700,000, but he was scared to say it out loud for fear of being beaten again.

"When I was asked what he had said, I told them ₦1 million," he said.

The young man also shared that they received very little food during their time in captivity.

"On the first day, we ate nothing. On other days, we were given rice and beans, and sometimes garri," he explained.

Philip said one of the kidnappers took his ID card and accused him of being a police officer because his address was near a police station.

"He accused me of being a police officer and began beating me because of that suspicion," he noted.

He also mentioned that another captive who understood Hausa explained to the kidnapper that his house was just close to the police station.

Philip said they had to endure four days of heavy rain while being held in the wilderness.

"Sometimes, it rained in the morning and again in the evening, leaving us exposed and uncomfortable in the wilderness," he added.

Meanwhile, the families of the victims reached out to Benue Links Nig. Ltd. for help in securing their release.

Philip said they were informed that the Department of State Services advised the company's manager against talking to the kidnappers.

He said the families continued to work hard to raise the ransom after they didn’t get the help they hoped for.

Many relatives sold valuable items to gather money for the victims’ release. Philip said his father raised N1.5 million by Monday and increased it to N1.7 million by Tuesday, October 6.

"The kidnappers asked him to make it ₦2 million so he could come and pay the ransom for my release," he stated.

He added that the families were told to collect whatever money they had and travel to Lokoja, Kogi State.

They got there on Wednesday, October 7, but were sent to Okene, where the ransom was to be collected the next day.

Philip said the captives were moved to a different spot close to where the ransom would be picked up on Thursday, October 8.

He explained that five kidnappers, including their leader, went to collect the money, while three others stayed with the captives.

After collecting and checking the money, the kidnappers told the guards to free the group.

"We were finally released!" he exclaimed.

Philip said the gang leader gave each captive N2,000 and told them to leave quickly.

"After everything we had endured, the head of the kidnappers even gave each of us ₦2,000 and told us to leave quickly," he noted.

He said the victims walked a long distance with the people who brought the ransom before they reached the road and left the area.

"It was a moment I can hardly explain. After days of uncertainty, hardship, and fear, we could finally breathe freely again," he added.

Reflecting on his experience, Philip said he was scared for his life but found comfort in his Christian faith.

He said Psalm 23:4 became a source of strength for him during this time.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me," he quoted from the Bible.

He expressed that he felt uncertain about when or how he would be freed but believed that God had not left him.

"I could not see what the future held. I did not know how or when I would be released. But deep within me, I held on to the belief that God had not abandoned me," he said.

Philip described the abduction as one of the darkest moments of his life. He said his journey to the NYSC orientation camp became a test of faith, strength, and endurance.

"I am sharing this story because it is a part of my life that I will never forget. It reminds me of how fragile life can be, how much our families are willing to sacrifice for us, and how important it is to hold on to faith when life takes an unexpected turn," he stated.

He concluded, "I went through the valley, but the valley did not have the final say."

"When all hope seemed lost, God gave me hope," he said.