A recent victim of kidnapping, Lanlege Samuel Adewale, has debunked viral claims suggesting his severed hand was the work of Islamist extremists.
Speaking from his hospital bed after being rescued, Adewale revealed that it was the kidnappers who chopped off his left hand while attempting to prevent a machete attack aimed at his neck.
Adewale and his brother were abducted on Sunday while riding a motorcycle to Ogbe in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State. He recounted that eight heavily armed men emerged from the bush and seized them, dragging them through the thick forests that span Kogi and Kwara states.
According to him, they were first taken to a hideout in Eruku Forest, located in Ekiti LGA of Kwara State, after being led through the Oke-Ere/Okoloke forest path in Kogi. The victims spent two harrowing days in captivity.
Adewale explained that the amputation occurred during a desperate attempt to escape from the kidnappers’ den in Babanla Forest, Ifelodun LGA of Kwara State.
“In the course of trying to run, one of the kidnappers came after me with a machete aimed at my neck. I raised my hand to block the attack, and that was how my hand was cut off. It has nothing to do with any Islamist agenda or Jihad as people are saying online,”; he said.
A security source involved in the rescue operation confirmed that the kidnappers had been hostile and refused to negotiate with the victims’ families, prompting the escape attempt.
“Their captors became furious when Adewale resisted. They beat him, inflicted severe injuries on his leg and arm, and left him for dead in the bush,”; the source added.
Adewale was later rescued by a combined security team and taken to a hospital for treatment. His brother was also freed.
Authorities have urged the public to disregard the viral video linking the incident to religious extremism, stating that there is no evidence supporting such claims.
The police and local vigilantes continue to comb the forests in search of the fleeing kidnappers.
