Nigerian Accident Victim Recounts How Kidnappers Forced Him To Trek Through Forest Despite Multiple Fractures | Sahara Reporters

Yusuf, speaking in Hausa in a video posted online by conflict reporter Bakatsine, said the gunmen intercepted the vehicle he was travelling in with his younger brother, who was driving.

Alhaji Muntari Yusuf recounts how armed kidnappers abducted him while he was travelling for medical treatment, forced him to trek through a forest despite multiple fractures, denied captives freedom to pray, and eventually released him after collecting ₦12 million in cash.

Yusuf, a Nigerian man who was abducted by armed gunmen while travelling to Abuja for medical treatment, has recounted his harrowing experience in captivity, revealing how his abductors subjected him to severe hardship despite knowing that he was suffering from multiple fractures.

Yusuf, speaking in Hausa in a video posted online by conflict reporter Bakatsine, said the gunmen intercepted the vehicle he was travelling in with his younger brother, who was driving. He said the gunmen ordered him out of the vehicle at gunpoint before taking him into a forest.

At the time of the abduction, Yusuf said he was recovering from a serious road accident and was travelling to Cedar Crest Hospital in Abuja for a follow-up appointment to determine whether his fractures were healing properly.

He explained that his left arm had sustained three fractures, his right arm was also fractured, and his thigh was seriously injured, leaving him dependent on a walking stick to move around.

Despite his condition, the armed men threatened to shoot him when he struggled to get out of the vehicle and explain that he could not walk without assistance.

“One of the boys then cocked his gun. As he cocked the gun, he raised it, ready to finish me off right there,” Yusuf said.

He said he eventually picked up his walking stick, got out of the vehicle and followed the gunmen because he feared they would kill him if he refused to obey their instructions.

BREAKING: Alh. Muntari Yusuf was on his way to the hospital with three broken bones in his body when gunmen abducted him and took him into the forest. Despite his condition, his captors showed no mercy. He was forced to pay 12 million in ransom before they finally released him. Imagine the pain of being injured, needing medical attention, yet finding yourself in the hands of kidnappers. This is the harsh reality many victims and their families continue to face. Watch him recount his painful experience in this interview
— Bakatsine (@DanKatsina50) October 27, 2026

Recounting his ordeal, Yusuf said his abductors showed little regard for his injuries, repeatedly forcing him to walk long distances through the forest.

He explained that the gunmen insulted him and beat him with sticks whenever he struggled to keep up with the group.

According to him, the journey continued for days, with the swelling in his injured leg worsening as he was forced to move from one location to another.

“Wherever we went, we had to stop and let me rest. Then they would lift me up, help me move to another spot, and give me my walking stick so we could continue travelling,” he said.

Yusuf explained that the pain eventually became so severe that his captors had to arrange a motorcycle to transport him after his leg became badly swollen.

He said the experience caused further damage to his already injured leg, forcing him to undergo another medical procedure after his release.

“What I will never forget about those people is their sheer lack of humanity,” he said.

He added that the gunmen continued to mock him whenever he struggled to walk, accusing him of making a fuss despite his obvious injuries.

Yusuf disclosed that the kidnappers initially demanded ₦50million from his family in exchange for his release.

He said the amount was subsequently reduced to ₦20 million following negotiations, but the gang’s leader later insisted on ₦15 million.

According to Yusuf, he explained his financial difficulties to the gang and appealed for a further reduction, warning that he was already seriously injured and needed urgent medical attention.

He said the gang’s leader eventually agreed to a lower amount after further negotiations and threats.

Yusuf explained that he offered to add more money to the amount being discussed because he feared that the gang could harm or kill him if he continued resisting their demands.

He was eventually released after a ransom of ₦12 million was agreed upon.

“I just wanted to secure my release because, after all, I was already in their hands. I couldn’t afford to say the wrong thing,” he said.

The victim disclosed that the ransom was paid in cash rather than through a bank transfer.

He said his relatives, including his elder brother, Malam Nura, and younger brother, Ibrahim, travelled to the Rijana forest area to deliver the money.

According to Yusuf, they passed Malam Mamman’s bridge before proceeding into the forest, where the ransom was handed over to the kidnappers.

He explained that the gang instructed his relatives to leave their vehicle at a designated point near a stream before carrying the bags containing the money across the water.

The kidnappers reportedly opened the bags and counted the cash to confirm that the agreed amount had been delivered.

Yusuf said the gunmen subsequently returned his two mobile phones, which had been taken from him during his captivity.

He also had to ask one of the abductors to return his wristwatch, which the man had taken and worn.

According to him, the captor eventually handed the watch back before he departed with his relatives.

Yusuf also described the living conditions inside the forest, saying the captives slept on the bare ground and were given food only once a day.

He said their meals consisted of beans and rice prepared with palm oil, after which they were given water.

He was held for three days, extending into the fourth day, before his release.

The victim further said that the gunmen initially prevented the captives from praying, shouting at them whenever they attempted to observe their religious obligations.

He said they eventually resorted to praying discreetly, without access to water for ablution or the usual preparations required for their prayers.

Yusuf said the captives were moved between different locations before eventually being taken to a secluded area in the forest, where they spent two nights.

Yusuf disclosed that other people were held alongside him, including Alhaji Usman, a man from Sokoto, and his two younger brothers.

Another captive, a driver identified as Sa’idu, was also in a critical condition after enduring severe hardship in captivity.

According to Yusuf, Sa’idu helped him move around because he was unable to sit upright or walk properly without assistance.

He said the driver struggled to raise money for his own release, forcing his family to sell his vehicle to raise funds. They reportedly managed to gather ₦500,000.

Asked about the weapons carried by the abductors, Yusuf said they possessed AK-47 rifles.

He also explained that some of the young men in the gang abused drugs and showed little regard for religious observances.

Reflecting on his experience, he warned against assuming that the perpetrators were necessarily foreigners or outsiders, arguing that many were Nigerians from local communities.

“Don’t assume that these people are foreigners or outsiders. They are not outsiders. They are our own people,” he said.

He added that the situation was deeply troubling because many of the men appeared to be young people from within the country.

Following his experience, Yusuf urged the government and security authorities to take decisive action to address the worsening insecurity and protect citizens from armed kidnappers.

He stated that dialogue, mediation and appeals had failed to stop the violence, insisting that the authorities must exercise their powers to restore security.

“Dialogue and mediation have their limits. The authorities need to step in and exercise their authority,” he said.

Yusuf maintained that protecting citizens’ lives, property and fundamental rights is the responsibility of the government.

“If the government cannot protect people’s rights and property, and these activities are allowed to continue, then it seems to me that the government has failed,” he said.

He urged the authorities to develop an effective strategy to bring the situation under control, warning that the activities of armed groups have reached an unbearable level.

Yusuf expressed hope that the government would take meaningful action to end the violence and enable residents to live in peace.