How rescued Ogun students survived days of ordeal, beatings, crossfire

Four young men, students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic in Saapade, Ogun State, found themselves locked in a small bathroom on July 29, 2023, as gunfire erupted outside their student hostel. After being threatened with violence and interrogated about their criminal activities, the eight students were led into the forest and forced to carry stolen goods, including corn, for ransom.

Days turned to weeks as the captors demanded increasingly exorbitant amounts of money, sometimes up to N50 million per person. The hostages went without sunlight, sleep, and proper nourishment, and were subjected to physical abuse, including beatings with sticks. As the security forces closed in, the kidnappers fled, leaving the students in a desperate fight for their lives.