30th September 2026 will forever remain a memorable day in the life of Ibi Bemdoo. It was the day an ordinary journey to begin his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme turned into an experience he will never forget.
He boarded a Benue Links Nig. Ltd. bus with 14 other people, making 15 of them including the driver. He was the only prospective corps member travelling to the NYSC orientation camp in Akure, Ondo State, while the others were heading to Ibadan for their personal businesses and other reasons. At first the journey went smoothly. Little did he know that what lay ahead would test his faith, strength and hope in ways he had never imagined.
When they got to Ibilo in Edo State, they were ambushed by kidnappers. The driver and two other people managed to escape, but the remaining 12 were taken captive. From there their ordeal began. They were taken towards Okene in Kogi State, trekking through the savannah for days. They slept on the bare ground and rocks, exposed to the weather, with little food and no idea what would happen next. They were later moved to a mountain where they remained under the control of their captors.
On Friday, 2nd October, negotiations for their release began at about 7 p.m. They were given phones to call their families and tell them what was happening. Ibi called his father, Chief Sunday Ibi, and Ols Sally Sewuese Ukule, who was his course representative during their undergraduate days at Benue State University, Makurdi. He told them the kidnappers were demanding ₦50 million as ransom. The amount was later reduced to ₦30 million, but that was where the negotiations ended that night.
Immediately, his father, his then course representative, his family, friends and other concerned individuals began looking for ways to raise the money. His father did everything he could. He barely rested as he desperately tried to find a way to bring his son home safely. The family and other relatives were also doing all they could, holding on to hope even when the situation seemed impossible.
For four days they endured heavy rain. Sometimes it rained in the morning and again in the evening, leaving them exposed and uncomfortable in the wilderness. One of the kidnappers collected Ibi’s identity card and saw the address written on it, which was opposite B Division Police Station. He accused him of being a police officer and began beating him because of that suspicion. It was a terrifying experience, especially knowing there was little he could do to defend himself. One of the men who was kidnapped with them understood Hausa, so he explained that Ibi’s house was only close to the police station.
Meanwhile, their families were fighting their own battle outside the forest. Relatives of the victims approached Benue Links Nig. Ltd., hoping the company would help them secure their release. However, they were told that the DSS had advised the manager not to communicate with the kidnappers, of which the DSS were not aware of anything, likewise the Commissioner of Police. The families had hoped for assistance, but they still had to find a way forward themselves. They refused to give up. Some people sold valuable belongings and made painful sacrifices, doing everything within their power to raise the money demanded for the release of their loved ones.
As the days passed, Ibi’s father continued to plead and negotiate with the kidnappers. On Monday he told them he had raised ₦1.5 million. By Tuesday, 6th October, he had managed to raise ₦1.7 million. The kidnappers asked him to make it ₦2 million. As the negotiations continued, the kidnappers reduced the ransom demand, first to ₦20 million and later to ₦10 million.
Whenever the captives were allowed to call their families, the calls were put on loudspeaker so the kidnappers could hear every conversation. They were only allowed to speak English. They were asked how much their people had been able to raise. At one point Ibi called his father and he told him he had ₦500,000. The kidnappers became angry because they wanted to hear millions, not thousands. That day he was severely beaten. When his father later mentioned ₦700,000, Ibi became afraid of what might happen to him if he repeated the amount. When he was asked what his father had said, he told them ₦1 million.
During this period their feeding was uncertain. On the first day they ate nothing. On subsequent days they were given rice and beans, and sometimes garri.
Ibi’s journey to the NYSC orientation camp became a journey through one of the darkest experiences of his life. He left home expecting to begin a new chapter, but instead found himself in a situation he would never have imagined. Yet in the midst of it all he held on to God. When all hope seemed lost, God gave him hope.
He is sharing this story because it is a part of his life that he will never forget. It reminds him of how fragile life can be, how much families are willing to sacrifice, and how important it is to hold on to faith when life takes an unexpected turn. He went through the valley, but the valley did not have the final say.
To God be the glory.
