The Chief Imam of Uso in Owo Local Council of Ondo State, Alhaji Ibrahim Bodunde, has presented a thorough description of the horrible events he went through while being kept captive by kidnappers.
On Tuesday at the Police headquarters in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, the 67-year-old imam who was abducted a few days earlier while tending to his farm in Asolo Camp, revealed the horrible details of his kidnapping.
Bodunde claims that when his kidnappers realised he couldn’t speak English during their questioning, they became irate and frustrated.
The Muslim cleric described how he endured constant physical abuse as a result of being held captive in the kidnappers’ den.
While he was working on his farm, Bodunde was abducted in the neighbourhood.
The fearsome N10 million ransom demanded by the kidnappers was to secure the freedom of the famous imam. Eventually, a ransom of two million naira was paid following discussions and intense pressure placed on his family.
After the ransom was paid, Bodunde’s kidnappers dragged him back to his farm where he was eventually set free.
Bodunde described the terrible journey he was made to endure, saying that it took him six exhausting hours of arduous walking through the jungle until he arrived at the kidnappers’ lair.
“They tied my hands to my back and fastened my back to a tree when we got to their den. My legs were bound as well. For 48 hours, they (the abductors) denied me access to food and drink.
They reeled out my dossier to me and said, “They had information about me before I was kidnapped.
They wanted I communicate with them in pidgin English rather than Yoruba. I shall receive a harsh beating every time I inadvertently use Yoruba, he recalled.
Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the state’s police public relations officer, revealed that the police had successfully caught the criminals responsible for the kidnapping.
Odunlami-Omisanya claims that the crime was reported on June 18, 2023, when Mrs. Bodunde, the victim’s wife, went to the Uso Police division at around 6:00 p.m.
“When they got to the farm, they located Bodunde’s car and cellphone, but the Chief Imam wasn’t there. Dailypost reported.
