My Kidnappers Were Shedding Tears When I Was Leaving – Niger Commissioner Shares Experience With Bandits

The Niger State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Muhammed Sani Idris has narrated his ordeal in the hands of his kidnappers while in their custody.

It will be recalled that Idris who was abducted on Monday morning in his hometown in Tafa local government area, was released on Thursday night.

Speaking on his experience while addressing journalists in Minna, the state capital on Friday, where he was received by the speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Abdullahi B Wuse, and some cabinet members, the commissioner said his release was simply a miracle.

According to him, when he was first abducted, the bandits were harsh with him but he remained unbroken neither was he intimidated though the experience was traumatizing for him.

The Commissioner explained that the bandits told him they planned his kidnap with the involvement of many other persons to ensure it doesn’t fail.

He narrated further that after a while in their custody, he was the one that succeeded in breaking the bandits with his words as they untied him and began to give him bread and water.

He noted that he didn’t escape neither was he rescued but his release was just a miracle as no ransom was paid as well.

Idris added that the kidnappers were shedding tears when he was leaving them but he told their leader that he had forgiven them for all they did to him.

According to him, “The experience was traumatizing. I came out last night and I spent the night at a hospital for observation and I came in to Minna this morning, hale and hearty.”

“I was the only victim with the bandits and they told me that they see my case as a high-profile kidnapping and they planned for it very well with different people from different teams to ensure that they succeed.

“I was not rescued and I didn’t pay any ransom. It was just miraculous.

“When they started, they were very hard on me and push me to a limit you never expected human to still be resilient; but I give God the glory, because I remained there as a believer. I knew the God that I serve will always be there for me.

“I was asking them if what they were doing is welcomed in the eyes of Allah, gradually; instead of breaking me, I started breaking them.

“After then they started giving me bread and water. they untied me and use the only trampoline they had to cover me during rain while they stayed under the rain.

“They began to show concern, I kept talking to them and in the long run, they said I should go and reunite with my family, ” he said.

The Commissioner was full of praise for the state governor whom he noted stood by the resolve of the state executive council not to pay ransom to secure the release of any kidnapped victim.

“In fact, the first thing I did when I came out was to send a text to my governor to thank him for having the strength of heart not to allow any state machinery intervene in my release because we took a decision in council that the Niger state Government is averse to payment of ransom to bandits for any situation, for any case and now it happened to me.”

“They came with recordings where I made statements emphasizing this and reiterating it to them that as a government, in Niger State, we don’t pay ransom to bandits.

“I believe that we will succeed. I thank the government for standing by that, they were able to protect the integrity of our government.

“While I was there I was thinking of the people and the government of Niger State because I realized that God should intervene and ensure the government does not intervene in my affair.

“I came out unscathed aside from the beating and without paying a dime.

“People will be surprised but I am a believer. When they captured me, what I did was to remember that God has promised to take us through trials and tribulations and that for those that are able to show resilience and withstand this, he promise us a lot,“ he said.

He added, “I held onto the leader and told him that I forgive them for all the humiliations they have taken me through. They began to shed tears and they said that they pray that their meeting with me will be an end point to their banditry.”