Captain Elechi Amadi, 75, renowned writer and author of The Concubine, recalls in this interview with OKAFOR OFIEBOR, how he was kidnapped from his home in Aluu, Rivers State
Q: Can you recount how you were kidnapped?
A: Three armed men walked here on Monday 9 January, at about 8.30pm. When they knocked at the door, one of them spoke Ikwerre, my native language. That disarmed my wife and she opened the door and they walked in. They pointed guns at me and said they did not want to kill me, but that they wanted money. I told them I had no money. They insisted that I had to produce money and that I must have money in the house. I told them except for a small amount of money for the upkeep of the home, I didn’t have money. They said I must produce money and led me to my room and took all I had. When we came out of my inner room, they said I must follow them. I told them I had no more money. They said they knew I had no money but added: ‘You are now a government official, the Chairman of the Rivers State Scholarship Board and close to Governor Chibuike Amaechi.’ At that point, I didn’t know how to react because my wife was there. I did not want anything to happen to her. I was blindfolded and we ended up in the jungle. I slept on a marshy ground. The blindfold was most traumatic. Even at night, I was in a blindfold. The next day, they started bargaining and said since the Governor is my friend, I should tell him to bring N300million. I told them I could not reach the governor because my cell phone had been seized. Then they asked for the governor’s phone number. I reminded them that they had my phone and I didn’t have his number in my memory. They asked for the phone numbers of my other friends in government and I told them that I cannot remember any. Apparently, they were afraid to hand over my phone to me. They got the number of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Magnus Abe. They got him on the line and handed over the phone to me and said I should speak with him. I spoke to him and Magnus wished me well and encouraged me to brave it, promising that government was doing all it can to get me out of there. He now spoke to the men. After a while, they put down the phone and started cursing in rage. I now asked them what Magnus was talking about. One of them said: ‘Don’t mind the man. He is a stupid fellow. I don’t know what he is talking about.’ It was when I was released that I knew what happened. When Magnus came here, I asked him what he told them and he said he told them that they were holding their grandfather and that the government and security agents, who already knew where they were holding me, were closing in on them. Abe added that they must release me immediately and unharmed because the state government has a standing policy of not negotiating with kidnappers. When they realised that no money was coming from the government, they released me by 6.30pm and just vanished.
I found myself in the middle of the forest and I didn’t know where I was because I was blindfolded. Fortunately, I am familiar with the jungle, as a surveyor and soldier. I looked at the tracks and took the one that looked promising. I came out of a disused oil well.
Q: Can you locate the oil well now?
A: The oil location happens to be between Igwuruta and Aluu. By this time, it was dark and I said to myself that the best option was to keep moving, hoping that I may meet a hunter or anybody. If not, I told myself, I will keep walking to get warm. I did that for about two hours until I came to a Shell flow station. It turned to be a flow station in our community here. Beyond the flow station, there is a big jungle. That was where I was. When I came to the flow station, I saw my friends who had been circling the area searching for me. They may have used the GPS tracking system to know the area I was located. By the time I got to the flow station, I saw one of the cars of the security men and they brought me here.
Q: How old do you think your abductors are?
A: They are in their 20s.
Q: No high wall, no guard dogs in your house. Why did you leave yourself unprotected?
A: There is nothing to steal in the house to begin with. I don’t have money and don’t have walls. I interact with the villagers all the time. As community leader, the villagers can walk in to see me. In fact, I had just finished a meeting with my brothers before the kidnappers came. When they knocked, I thought that it was another set of people who wanted to see me. I help people around me and I participate in village affairs as much as I can. So I am very relaxed.
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