A hairstylist, Elizabeth Arowojolu, during an interview with The Punch has recounted how she was abducted by kidnappers along the Benin-Ore Expressway while travelling from Benin to Lagos to visit a friend.
She explained that she was from Ondo State, while her mother was from Edo State, adding that her parents were separated and her siblings lived elsewhere.
Speaking about the incident, Arowojolu said she left Benin at about 3 p.m. on September 13 and boarded a bus at Ogheghe on the Sapele Bypass Road. She recalled that after passing Ore, the bus was intercepted at a location she could not immediately identify, although farmers later told her it was near an area known as “Step-down” along the Benin-Ore Expressway. She estimated that the attack occurred around 5 p.m. or shortly afterwards.
According to her, she was using TikTok and Instagram on her phone when she noticed commotion ahead of the bus. Looking up, she saw a car positioned in front of their vehicle and initially believed they were being attacked by armed robbers.
She said one of the men approached the driver, who quickly locked the door after sensing danger. The attacker allegedly began hitting the bus, demanding that the door be opened and threatening to shoot the driver. She added that the driver of a trailer behind them and another individual had already abandoned their vehicle and fled.
Arowojolu explained that their driver could not escape because a truck was behind the bus and a car blocked the front. She said one attacker stood in front of the vehicle while another remained close by.
She stated that although she initially saw only two attackers, there were four in total. According to her, three of them carried guns, while one was armed with a cutlass and a large stick.
She further recalled that one of the attackers broke the driver’s side mirror and continued beating the driver until he eventually opened the door. Once inside, the men allegedly began assaulting passengers. She said two of the attackers had their faces covered, while the others did not, adding that one appeared Fulani to her, while the others did not appear Hausa.
Arowojolu said the kidnappers called one another by different names during the operation, noting that she heard one referred to as “Scorpion” and another as “Scala,” although she was not completely certain about the second name.
Describing what happened after the men entered the bus, she said the first attacker pointed a gun toward the roof and fired a shot, ordering all passengers to remain quiet.
Further talking, she said, “I had about three phones and an iPad with me. At that point, I still thought they were armed robbers who only wanted to collect our phones and belongings before leaving.
“I was sitting on the second-to-last row, so I tried to hide two of my phones. I successfully hid one and was trying to hide the second when one of the kidnappers noticed me.
“He asked what I was trying to hide. I brought out the second phone, and he hit me on the forehead, close to my eye, with the gun he was carrying.
“The gun looked like one of those wooden guns. I became unconscious, but I could still hear and understand what was happening around me.”
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