‘I Thought I Was Dead’ — Hairstylist’s Daring Escape From Kidnappers After Benin-Ore Ambush

‘I Thought I Was Dead’ — Hairstylist’s Daring Escape From Kidnappers After Benin-Ore Ambush

A hairstylist, Elizabeth Arowojolu, has recounted a terrifying ordeal in which she was abducted alongside about 15 other travellers by armed kidnappers on the Benin-Ore Expressway, before making a desperate escape into the darkness.

Arowojolu, who was travelling from Benin to Lagos on September 13 to visit a friend, said the journey turned into a nightmare shortly after passing Ore in Ondo State.

According to her account, the incident occurred at about 5pm near an area identified by local farmers as “Step-down” along the Benin-Ore Expressway.

She said she was scrolling through TikTok and Instagram on her phone when she suddenly heard commotion from vehicles ahead.

Initially, she and other passengers thought armed robbers had stopped the vehicles.

But the situation quickly became clear when armed men surrounded their bus and began threatening the driver.

The driver reportedly locked the door, but one of the attackers smashed the driver’s side mirror and repeatedly beat him while demanding that he open the door.

Unable to withstand the assault, the driver eventually opened the door.

Arowojolu said four attackers were involved. Three allegedly carried guns, while another had a cutlass and a large stick.

Once inside the bus, one of the gunmen fired into the roof and ordered everyone to remain silent.

“I had about three phones and an iPad with me,” she recounted, explaining that she initially believed the attackers were only interested in stealing their belongings.

Sitting towards the rear of the bus, she attempted to hide two of her phones.

However, one of the kidnappers noticed her.

When questioned about what she was hiding, Arowojolu brought out the second phone but was struck on the forehead, close to her eye, with the weapon carried by one of the attackers.

She said she became unconscious but could still hear what was happening around her.

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The kidnappers subsequently ordered everyone out of the vehicle and forced them to line up with their hands behind their heads.

According to her, about 12 people from her bus were taken, while occupants of another vehicle were also abducted, bringing the number of victims to about 16.

Before leading them into the bush, the kidnappers reportedly collected their phones and placed them in a large bag.

Unknown to them, Arowojolu had managed to conceal one phone inside her trousers.

The victims were then forced deep into the bush, with two kidnappers walking ahead and two behind them.

Arowojolu said the captives were repeatedly ordered to run faster as the gunmen led them deeper into the bush.

The journey lasted more than two hours as darkness descended.

Eventually, the kidnappers ordered the victims to sit in a circle with their hands behind their heads.

It was at this point that a fellow male victim began secretly signalling to others that they should prepare to escape.

Two of the kidnappers moved away from the group, creating what appeared to be a brief opportunity.

Suddenly, three male victims stood up and ran.

Arowojolu followed them, becoming the only woman among the escapees.

The kidnappers immediately raised the alarm and began shooting into the air while threatening to kill the fleeing victims.

But the escapees refused to stop.

They ran through the darkness, following instructions from one of the men not to run in a straight line.

At one point, four of them were together—three men and Arowojolu—before they became separated in the thick bush.

The survivors continued running until about 6am, when exhaustion forced them to stop and rest.

As daylight emerged, they continued their search for a road or settlement.

By about 9am, they began seeing cassava farms and palm trees, giving them hope that they were approaching a human settlement.

They eventually encountered an elderly farmer and two children.

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Although initially frightened because they did not know whether the people were connected to the kidnappers, they explained that they had escaped from an abduction.

The farmer reportedly took them home, gave them water and offered them food.

Arowojolu said she chose a ripe pawpaw instead of the boiled yam offered by a woman at the settlement.

The farmer later directed them towards Narowi Junction, where they could find transportation.

At Narowi, residents listened to their story and offered assistance.

Arowojolu, whose remaining phone had no SIM card, appealed for Wi-Fi access so she could connect to WhatsApp. She also borrowed a phone to contact her family.

Residents eventually helped them find transport.

Arowojolu travelled through Okada before reaching her grandmother’s home in Ugbobazua, Edo State.

She said she later received medical attention for injuries sustained during the ordeal.

The wound on her face remained visible, while her clothes had been torn during the escape after she ran into a stick in the bush.

Reflecting on the experience, Arowojolu said she initially believed the kidnappers might kill the victims or demand a huge ransom.

“I thought they were going to kill us or demand a ransom,” she recalled, describing her thoughts as, “God, I am dead already.”

She said she was particularly grateful that she survived because she feared her family might not have been able to raise millions of naira for her release.

Her family, she said, celebrated her return and even gave testimony in church.

The hairstylist, who marked her birthday on September 29, said she now sees her survival as a second chance at life.

She also used her experience to appeal for greater awareness about kidnapping and the plight of victims who remain trapped in forests while their families have no idea where they are.

Arowojolu said her decision to take the risk and run ultimately saved her life, even though the kidnappers were firing shots and threatening to kill those who attempted to escape.

She expressed concern for the other victims who remained behind, saying she could only imagine what they might still be experiencing.

Her account has again drawn attention to the security challenges faced by motorists and passengers travelling along the Benin-Ore corridor, one of the major routes linking southern Nigerian cities.

‘I Thought I Was Dead’ — Hairstylist’s Daring Escape From Kidnappers After Benin-Ore Ambush