Isheri Kidnap: Residents Still in Fear As Landlords Abandon Houses, Take Refuge In Hotels

One of the guards attached to Isheri North Estate, where the Community Development Secretary (CDA), Mr. Dayo Adekoya, was kidnapped last Wednesday has narrated how he dogged flying bullets from the kidnappers. This was even as news filtered out yesterday that more landlords at the estate have bolted, leaving their homes and property, to take refuge in hotels. It was learnt that many of the landlords have relocated their wives and children.

The narration of the guard, identified simply as Rufus, came after the murder of his three colleagues by the kidnappers.

The kidnappers also inflicted gunshot injuries on two other guards. Rufus stared into space as he tried to piece his thoughts together and recalled the event of that fateful day. He said: “I lay on the grass for over an hour, dodging bullets.

The bullets whizzed past me like jet fighters gunning after enemies at warfront. I thought I would die. I was in the front, leading the 13 other security guards.

I had a hunch. I felt the kidnappers were planning something for us. I felt they would shoot us at sight. And that was exactly what happened!

“While some of them went to carry out their assignment of abducting the secretary, others came to our rest bay.

They immediately opened fire. I lay flat on the grass; bullets flew past me and killed those at my back.” Rufus, who said he would forever remain grateful to God for sparing his life, appealed to the estate management to provide them with necessary security equipment.

The guard also urged the management to pay them good salary. He said: “I can tell you from the sound of theirs guns, that those guns were not ordinary guns. We couldn’t stand them. We were not equipped.

The issue of our welfare is not being taken seriously.” Another source in the estate said Adekoya’s abductors had been communicating with his wife, over ransom negotiation. The source said: “I don’t have the details, but I learnt they asked the woman to provide N10,000 recharge cards if she wanted to speak with her husband.

Apparently, it must be on the ransom issue. Initially, they asked for N100 million, later they reduced it to N80 million.”

The source begged other landlords in the estate to assist Adekoya’s family to secure his release. The source noted that running away from the estate and relocating families wasn’t the solution to the problem on ground.