A hairstylist, Elizabeth Arowojolu, has recounted how she escaped from kidnappers after she and 15 other travellers were abducted along the Benin-Ore Expressway in Ondo State.

Arowojolu said the incident occurred on September 13 while she was travelling from Benin City to Lagos to visit a friend.

According to her, she boarded a commercial bus at Ogheghe on the Sapele Bypass Road in Benin City at about 3pm and was attacked shortly after the bus passed Ore at around 5pm.

She said the attackers initially appeared to be armed robbers but later forced the passengers into the bush after taking control of the bus.

Arowojolu said there were four gunmen, three of whom carried firearms, while another was armed with a cutlass and a large stick.

She said the driver initially locked the bus doors, but the attackers beat him and broke the driver’s side mirror before forcing him to open the door.

The gunmen subsequently entered the vehicle, fired a shot into the air and ordered the passengers to surrender their belongings.

Arowojolu said she was carrying three phones and an iPad and attempted to hide two of the phones. One of the kidnappers noticed her and struck her on the forehead near her eye with a gun, causing her to lose consciousness briefly.

She said the attackers eventually ordered everyone out of the bus and combined them with occupants of another vehicle, bringing the number of abducted persons to about 16.

The victims were then forced to march for more than two hours into the bush.

According to Arowojolu, the kidnappers ordered the victims to sit in a circle after taking them deep into the bush and warned that anyone who attempted to escape would be killed.

She said one of the male captives began discreetly signalling that they should prepare to run.

When two of the kidnappers moved away, three male victims suddenly stood up and ran. Arowojolu joined them, becoming the only woman in the group to escape.

She said the kidnappers fired shots into the air and threatened to kill them, but the escapees continued running through the darkness.

Arowojolu said they ran until about 6am before stopping to rest. They continued moving after daylight and eventually encountered a farmer and two children around 9am.

The farmer and nearby residents gave the escapees water and food and directed them towards Narowi Junction, where they could find transportation.

Arowojolu said she later gained access to Wi-Fi at the junction and used WhatsApp to contact her family because the phone she had kept did not have a SIM card.

She eventually returned to Benin and travelled to her grandmother’s home in Ugbobazua, Edo State.

The hairstylist said she received medical attention for injuries sustained during the ordeal, including a wound on her face and injuries caused while running through the bush.

Reflecting on the experience, Arowojolu said she believed taking the risk to escape saved her life.

She also said she shared her experience on social media to raise awareness about kidnapping and the ordeal faced by victims and their families.

“Taking that chance saved my life,” she said, adding that she remained grateful to be alive.