The kidnapped female presenter; Chinenye Iwuoha of Pacesetter FM (an arm of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN), Amakanma in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State has described her kidnap as a case of mistaken identity.
Iwuoha who opened up on her kidnap saga said that she was coming back from work in the company of the General Manager of the station; Uche Ndukwu when the gunmen struck and whisked her away to an unknown destination.
According to her, she was kept behind closed door for the number of days that she was in the custody of her abductors.
The freed presenter who spoke in a telephone interview with The Nation said her abductors dropped her off on Wednesday night at a village she identified as Abayi (Owahia) in Obingwa LGA.
“We were returning back from work Monday night, very close to Amakanma Estate, a car hit our own. We thought it was an accident. It was when they hit the second time and brought out gun that we knew that it was no longer a child’s play.
“They shot our driver. I tried to open the other door, but it was locked and before you know it, they had already blocked the entire doors.
“They dragged and put me inside their car and drove off to what became a long journey. After going through the bushes, I was kept in a house.
“I learnt that they demanded for N20m, but when they dropped off, they said that my brother didn’t give them anything.
“They said that they are dropping me because they promised to drop me off that day. They told me on Tuesday that I will be leaving on Wednesday as long as I was cooperating.
“They dropped me off at Abayi (Owahia) village in Obingwa LGA and asked me to look for a place and tell them what happened. I was accommodated for the night by a family after telling them what happened.
“That night, I called my brother and in the morning (Thursday), they came and picked me.
“There in the bush, they said that they didn’t have my handbag. I assumed that it could be with my people, but as we speak, I am yet to find it.”
Asked if she was the primary target, Iwuoha said “I don’t think so. I think that it is a case of mistaken identity because they thought I was the man’s wife.
“It was like they were told that the man (GM) and the wife were returning from somewhere. So, they now picked me, who they assumed to be the GM’s wife thinking that the husband will come for her. At the end of the day, they discovered that I am not the man’s wife. I guess that they know me from the radio.”
She commended the Police for their efforts in ensuring that she regained her friend
She thanked the media for standing up to show support and solidarity during her kidnapping.
The Abia State Commissioner of Police, CP Janet Agbede said “the kidnappers demanded N20m. They later demanded N10m and later demanded for N200, 000″
Agbede however, stated that when the heat was unbearable on them, the kidnappers had no other option but to release her unconditionally.