Freelance journalist, Oluwatosin Oshibanjo, who was recently kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from his home in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, has been found alive, albeit in a critical condition.
The PUNCH reported that his mother, Tokunbo Bakre, revealed in a phone interview over the weekend that her son was discovered unconscious by some motorcyclists in Ijebu-Ode, where he had been dumped by his abductors.
Reports earlier revealed that Oshibanjo was abducted after he got involved in a human rights case between a pastor and a young woman.
The woman had accused the pastor of impregnating her and coercing her into repeated abortions. After giving birth, she claimed the pastor was the father of her child, a claim the pastor denied.
In her latest conversation, Bakre shared the distressing state in which her son was found, saying, “We found him. I was contacted by some Hausa motorcyclists who had come across him by the roadside. When I got there, he was naked and unconscious. He’s currently receiving medical care at the hospital.”
Speaking on the incident on Sunday, Oshibanjo recounted his harrowing ordeal. He disclosed that his captors had severely beaten and tortured him before abandoning him, all because of his involvement in the human rights issue.
He further explained that the abductors decided to release him after learning that the police had been alerted and were closing in on them.
Oshibanjo explained that the abductors identified themselves not as kidnappers but as cultists, claiming they had been hired by an individual dissatisfied with his work.
He provided details of the abduction, which began early Tuesday morning as he was on a phone call with his wife.
“I was on the phone with my wife when I heard a knock. I opened the door to find two men trying to force their way inside. I asked who they were, but they pulled out a gun and ordered me to their car, a red Big Daddy Toyota, where two other men were already seated,” he explained.
The abductors drove towards Ososa Road, debating amongst themselves about the location, with one of them mentioning “TMC.” After making a U-turn back to Ijebu-Ode, they blindfolded Oshibanjo, made several turns, and dragged him into a house where they stripped him of his shorts, poured water on him, and gagged him with tape. They also severely beat him on the legs, leaving him unable to walk properly.
“They hit my legs until they felt heavy, then forced me into another vehicle,” Oshibanjo continued.
At some point, he lost consciousness, only waking up later to hear them discussing how their assignment had become more complicated.
He was eventually moved to a different room where his captors reiterated that they were not kidnappers, but cultists. Despite his pleas for food, they refused to feed him.
“I was later shoved into a different car and driven for a long time. They finally stopped, pulled off my blindfold, and threw me out of the car, leaving me naked on the ground,” he said. “I tried to call for help but couldn’t. I crawled until a bike rider came by and removed the tape from my mouth. Afterward, I reached a group of people, who spoke Hausa. One of them covered me and contacted my mum using the phone number I provided. I remember seeing my mum before I passed out and woke up in the hospital.”
Efforts to reach Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, for comments on the incident have been unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to her were not returned at the time of filing this report.
