A woman abducted by kidnappers in Kwara State has narrated how she survived for eight days in the forest after escaping from captivity, relying on extreme measures to stay alive amid hunger, thirst, and exhaustion.
The survivor, Gbemisola, popularly known as Iya Beske, was among 11 residents abducted from Isapa community in November last year. The victims were taken to a forest camp where they were held alongside several other abductees from different locations.
According to her account, the captives were subjected to harsh conditions, with little or no food and water. While the kidnappers reportedly ate well, the victims were given poorly prepared meals, sometimes without salt or oil.
She said access to water was severely restricted, with as many as eight to ten captives forced to share a single bottle of water in a day. Requests for more water were allegedly dismissed, with the abductors insisting that basic needs would only improve if ransom demands were met.
As conditions worsened, the captives allegedly overheard conversations suggesting that their lives would be taken regardless of whether ransom was paid. This reportedly prompted the group to resolve to attempt an escape rather than remain in captivity.
The escape took place late at night, with the victims fleeing in different directions to avoid recapture. Gbemisola said she wandered through the forest from about 11 p.m. until the following morning without reaching any settlement.
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Overcome by thirst, she resorted to drinking her own urine to survive. She said she sustained herself this way for eight days while moving through the forest, unaware initially of the physical toll it would take on her body.
Her ordeal came to a turning point when she collapsed from exhaustion at a remote location. A passerby later came to her aid, providing her with water and kunu, a local beverage. Although her body struggled to tolerate food and drink due to prolonged deprivation, she gradually regained enough strength to continue her journey.
Eventually, she arrived at a community where both Hausa and Yoruba are spoken. Residents reportedly took her in, bathed her with warm water, provided clothing, and gave her food.
The town was identified as Langta, in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, where she was finally able to make contact with her family.
At the time she was found, she was the last of the 11 escapees whose whereabouts were unknown following the mass escape from the kidnappers’ camp. She was later moved from Patigi to Ilorin for further care and reunification efforts with her family in Isapa.
