How I was lured by Fulani herdsman into kidnapping US returnees — Trader

A trader, Michael Njoku, who was paraded alongside 16 other individuals in Ebonyi State, has recounted how he was lured into participating in the kidnapping of some returnees from the United States of America during the last Christmas and New Year celebrations by a Fulani herdsman.

Michael revealed these details during his parade by the spokesman of the Ebonyi State Police Command, Joshua Akandu, at the state headquarters in Abakaliki, the state capital.

Confirming that they received N40 million ransom in both naira and dollars for the kidnapping, Michael, originally from Abia State, clarified that four individuals were involved in the abduction, but only two were apprehended by the police. He expressed ignorance about the whereabouts of the others and emphasized that no one was killed during the incident, attributing the death of a lady to fear rather than any intentional harm.

Michael explained that the Fulani man who involved him in the crime was a customer who frequented his shop to purchase provisions. Recalling the sequence of events, Michael stated that on December 13, 2023, the Fulani man visited his shop with his cattle. Michael, noticing the size of the herd, jokingly remarked about the man's wealth, to which the man responded that the cattle were indeed his. Michael then asked the man for a loan of N50,000, which the man initially declined but later agreed to consider.

Five days later, the Fulani man returned without his cattle and offered Michael a job opportunity in Afikpo, Ebonyi State. Despite being unfamiliar with Afikpo, Michael agreed to accompany the man after being promised a lucrative wage for four days of work bagging manure. He entrusted his shop to his brother and followed the man to Afikpo, where they arrived on New Year's evening.

The Fulani man provided Michael with food and accommodation in a hotel before escorting him to a secluded forest area on a motorcycle. There, the man revealed his true intentions, presenting Michael with a gun and instructing him that it was time to pursue money.