{
  "id": 11554665,
  "title": "How I escaped after gunmen abducted 16 victims – Hairstylist",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/how-i-escaped-after-gunmen-abducted-16-victims-hairstylist",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-02T23:52:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/how-i-escaped-after-gunmen-abducted-16-victims-hairstylist/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Elizabeth Arowojolu, a hairstylist from Ondo State, was kidnapped along the Benin-Ore Expressway on September 13, 2022. She was traveling from Benin to Lagos to visit a friend when the incident occurred. The kidnappers boarded her bus, demanding that the driver open the door, which he eventually did after being threatened. The kidnappers then attacked everyone on the bus, beating them and taking their phones. Elizabeth managed to hide one of her phones and was trying to hide another when one of the kidnappers hit her on the head with a gun, rendering her unconscious. After regaining consciousness, she was forced to come down from the bus and form a line, put her phones in a bag, and follow the kidnappers into the bush. The ordeal lasted more than two hours, during which the kidnappers kept them running or stationary at different intervals. Eventually, two of the kidnappers stood up and started running, signaling the others to follow. Elizabeth, along with three other men, escaped the kidnappers and ran away from the scene.",
  "summary": "A hairstylist, Elizabeth Arowojolu, recounts her terrifying ordeal and how she escaped after being abducted with 15 others by gunmen on the Benin-Ore Expre Read More: https://punchng.com/how-i-escaped-after-gunmen-abducted-16-victims-hairstylist/",
  "key_points": [
    "Elizabeth Arowojolu, hairstylist from Ondo State, kidnapped on September 13, 2022.",
    "Kidnappers boarded her bus, beat passengers, and took their phones.",
    "Elizabeth escaped with three others after two kidnappers signaled to run."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The hairstylist's escape, along with that of three other men, occurred when some of the kidnappers suddenly fled, suggesting that even the abductors' resolve can fracture during prolonged ordeals.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "How I escaped after gunmen abducted 16 victims – Hairstylist",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/how-i-escaped-after-gunmen-abducted-16-victims-hairstylist",
        "published": "2026-10-03T00:14:42.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}