‘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.

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.

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

Tension as Kidnappers Threaten to Kill Abducted Oyo Corps Members

The families of 19 prospective corps members from Oyo State abducted in Imo State are facing a ₦950 million ransom demand, with the kidnappers reportedly threatening to kill the victims if the money is not paid.

The victims were travelling from Ibadan to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked their vehicles along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.

The incident occurred on Thursday, October 1, after the buses reportedly left Ibadan the previous day. The travellers had encountered delays on the journey and spent the night in Anambra State before continuing towards Imo.

According to accounts from relatives and the transport company, the attackers emerged from the bush near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, blocked the vehicles and forced some of the passengers into the surrounding bush.

The kidnappers later contacted some of the victims’ families using the abducted persons’ phones and demanded ₦50 million for each victim, bringing the reported ransom demand to ₦950 million.

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The development has heightened anxiety among the victims’ families, particularly after the abductors allegedly issued threats against the captives.

One relative reportedly said a family member was able to see some of the abducted graduates during a video call initiated by the kidnappers. The victims were allegedly seen sitting on the ground in a bush location.

Another family member said one of the abducted prospective corps members managed to send a brief message to a family WhatsApp group before communication was lost.

The affected families have appealed to the Imo State Government, Oyo State Government, Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims.

The parents also reportedly sought the intervention of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, after visiting him in Ibadan to seek assistance over the abduction.

The incident has also prompted increased security operations in the area, with security agencies deploying personnel and tactical teams to search for the victims and track the suspected kidnappers.

The Imo State Police Command said 10 people had been rescued following the attack, while efforts were continuing to establish the full number of people still in captivity.

There have been conflicting reports about the number of prospective corps members abducted. While several reports put the figure at 19, some accounts from relatives have referred to 20 victims and a ransom demand of about ₦1 billion. Authorities have continued efforts to establish the precise number of people taken during the attack.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has also strengthened the security operation in Imo State, with senior police officers deployed to coordinate efforts aimed at rescuing the remaining victims.

The abduction has renewed concerns over the safety of young Nigerians travelling to NYSC orientation camps, particularly those travelling long distances across states for the mandatory national service programme.

The families are now waiting for the safe return of their relatives as security agencies continue the search for the abducted Oyo corps members.

Tension as Kidnappers Threaten to Kill Abducted Oyo Corps Members

Over 1,000 APM Members Defect to APC in Oyo

More than 1,000 members of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing dissatisfaction with their political experience in the state.

The defectors formally joined the APC at the party’s state secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, on Friday, October 2, 2026.

They were led by APM chieftain Mustapha Kazeem, popularly known as Oba Oluyole, and received by Oyo State APC Chairman, Otunba Moses Alake Adeyemo, alongside members of the party’s state executive committee. (The Times)

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Kazeem said their decision followed what he described as a series of experiences while supporting the administration and political structure associated with Governor Seyi Makinde.

He alleged that some supporters had not received adequate recognition for their loyalty and sacrifices, while accusing members of Makinde’s political structure in Oluyole of victimising members of his group.

Kazeem said the situation eventually convinced them to leave the APM and join the Oyo APC, declaring that they had reached a point where they could no longer pretend about their dissatisfaction.

He described the APC as a platform through which the defectors could pursue their political interests and said they were no longer willing to remain within what he described as “deceit and propaganda.”

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The allegations against Makinde’s political structure were made by the defectors and were not independently established in the report.

Receiving the new members, the Oyo APC chairman welcomed them into the party and presented brooms to them as a symbol of their formal admission.

Adeyemo urged the defectors to put their previous political differences behind them and participate actively in the activities of the APC in Oyo State.

The defection comes amid increasing political realignments in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 elections, with political parties and their supporters seeking to strengthen their structures and mobilise members across the state.

The latest movement also comes against the backdrop of continuing discussions among opposition politicians over possible cooperation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

An APM chieftain, Oluwaseun Adeloro, recently argued that opposition parties still had an opportunity to work towards a common presidential candidate.

Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, Adeloro said opposition politicians could still reach an agreement despite the separate ambitions of major political figures.

He specifically mentioned former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi while discussing the challenges of reaching a consensus.

Adeloro also expressed support for Governor Seyi Makinde as a possible consensus candidate and defended Makinde’s proposal for a four-year “reset” of Nigeria.

The latest APM-to-APC defection in Oyo adds to the political activity already underway ahead of the 2027 general elections.

For the defectors, the move marks a shift from the APM to the APC, while the allegations they cited concerning their treatment within Makinde’s political structure remain their stated reasons for leaving.

Over 1,000 APM Members Defect to APC in Oyo