Kidnapped Benue LG Chairman reveals how abductors fed him banana leaves that stopped his ‘frequent urination’

The abducted Chairman of Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, Rev. Gideon Haanongon, who was rescued on Wednesday recounted his ordeal and benefit he gained while in captivity for two weeks.

He revealed that how he often urinates that caught the attention of kidnappers and he was given banana leaves to eat which stopped his frequent urination.

CAPITAL POST recalled that the LG Chairman, his driver, Police orderly and personal assistant were kidnapped while they were their way for the burial of Ter Katsina-Ala, Chief Benjamin Fezaanga Wombo, penultimate Saturday.

The LG was rescued alongside his Personal Assistant by troops of 72 Special Force Battalion under 401 Special Brigade commanded by Brig. General A. Rabiu on Wednesday in Katsina Ala between 5pm to 6pm.

He explained that pressures from the military led to his release and that of his Personal Assistant.

He said on the day of his abduction, he was on his way to the burial of a traditional ruler in Katsina-Ala when he came in contact with some strange boys who were shooting sporadically and even killed someone.

He said, “At that point, I told my driver to stop the car and they took us (himself and personal assistant) straight into the bush. They covered my face throughout the period of my captivity. I did not know when it was daytime or night. They kept us inside a thatched house without air.

“Each day, the soldiers would come shooting but they manoeuvred their way through a bush path and hid us inside a river. The soldiers destroyed their camps and they kept moving us to another place.

“They did not feed me because they do not have food to eat. I was urinating often so they gave me banana leaves and it stopped.”
Rev. Haanongon further explained how kidnappers complained to him that soldiers were disturbing them because of him, that governor Hyacinth Alia had appealed to them to release him.

“So at about 8pm on Wednesday, we crossed a stream and trekked a very long distance almost like from Makurdi to Abinsi and they removed the blindfold and asked me to take a path that leads to Zaki Biam.