Posted by By OLUWATOYIN MALIK on
ALMOST on daily basis, police stations across the nation receive complaints on cases of missing persons whose family members would have tried all within their means to look for, albeit, without success....
ALMOST on daily basis, police stations across the nation receive complaints on cases of missing persons whose family members would have tried all within their means to look for, albeit, without success. Many families, in frantic search for their relations, would even go to mortuaries, hospitals and police stations, in a bid to find their missing loved ones. Most of the time, the search is usually unsuccessful.
The media is awash with the news of mutilated, dismembered corpses found, sometimes with the private parts and vital organs removed. Some of those who were victims of ritualists or kidnappers but were fortunate to have escaped death by the whiskers also tell gory stories of what they went through with others before their own miraculous escape. But for God who must really love 27-year-old Chika Ozumba who hails from Anambra State, Friday 16 June, 2006 would have been her last day on earth as she almost became a victim of a suspected ritualist, right within the federal capital city, Abuja.
Chika, who has a Masters degree in Animal Science had been looking for a job. So, she was very happy when she got a call from Diamond Bank in Abuja to come for an aptitude test on Saturday 17 June, 2006. Chika really prepared herself for the test and also put a call through to a friend of hers who is also a banker and who lives at Apo Legislative Quarters. She planned to stay with her friend for the trip. That would be her first time of visiting Abuja and she intended to utilise the opportunity to the fullest, by going round Abuja on sight-seeing after the test.
So, on that Friday, Chika got to Abuja motor park in Ibadan early, but the vehicle could not leave until 10a.m. because it took a long time to get filled up. Somehow, the vehicle was very slow and it didn't get to Abuja until 9.30pm when it dropped its last passengers at Jabi Park. Having made enquiries from those in the bus on how to get to Apo Legislative Quarters, Chika got down and was approached by a commercial motorcycle rider. According to her, 'I showed him the address of where I was going and we negotiated the price. He billed me N200 but we later agreed on N150.
'As we were going, though I didn't know the place, I just noticed the area he was taking me through looked like an industrial area, not a residential one. I saw names of companies and could also see Berger. I brought out my phone to call my friend, but decided against it. I told the okadaman that the place was not looking like the place I was going. He then asked me whether I had been there before and I said yes, but a long time ago. I was just putting up a front.
'The Okadaman then said the place had changed and pointed to a reflection of light afar, telling me that was where we were going. As we continued, he suddenly turned into a dusty, untarred road. I started thinking that couldn't have been Apo where politicians and big-wigs live. We were on this road for about five minutes when he made a turn into the bush. 'That was when I jumped off the bike, but to my surprise, he jumped off the bike also and dropped it. He held on to my blouse and started drawing me into the bush. I was shouting the blood of Jesus! and struggled out of the blouse, leaving it in his hands. I started running with no top on but a bra, but he ran after me. As I was running, I started feeling sleepy and was staggering. I fell down and he pulled me up. I shouted the blood of Jesus! again and he became confused and ran back to where his bike was.
'I started running again in the bush but the place was rocky, so I was falling. I was also feeling very sleepy that it was like I should stay like that, but I knew I would not be safe if I should relax. I continued running and saw a light afar off. I ran towards it. When I came out of the bush and got to the place, I saw a car coming out of a yard belonging to a company, which I later saw to be Salini Industrial Company. I ran there but couldn't say anything immediately when the security people I met were asking me questions. 'They told me to wait for their security men who went on patrol. I was told that I was lucky as a lady's body had been seen in that area with the breasts and private part removed."
Fortunately for Chika, the handset she brought out of her bag earlier to call her friend was still clutched in her fist. Her handbag and travelling bag had been dropped when she was trying to escape the evil-minded okadaman. 'I called my friend to intimate her of my predicament and she put a call through to another friend because she was not familiar with the description. Eventually, with constant communication and the help of the security men in that company, my friend was able to locate me and we got back to Apo around 1.30am early on Saturday. It was at the company that I was later given a cloth to wear as a blouse.
'What the okada man thought was that I was going to fall somewhere, probably with the effect of what he thought he had succeeded in using on me. May be, he would have picked me from there without any struggle, but God saved me", Chika recounted. On Saturday morning, Chika and her friends tried to locate the place. 'I told them I perceived a burning smell where the okadaman drove me through, so we asked around and and we were able to get the place. We went searching until my friend's friend noticed something like an international passport in a ditch. He asked me whether I came with mine and I said yes. He stopped, went inside the ditch and brought out my handbag, international passport, University of Ibadan Master degree identity card, passport photograph and my wallet, though all the money in the wallet had been removed.
'However, my travelling bag which had my clothings and all of my original documents, including my WAEC, first degree and NYSC certificates, could not be seen. 'Due to my state of mind, I couldn't go anywhere on that day except for the aptitude test which I didn't want to do again but for the encouragement from my friend who said we should put the devil to shame. I did the test but was not successful because I couldn't put myself together", Chika narrated further.
When asked whether she informed the panel of examiners, or the bank officials of the ordeal she went through, she replied in the negative, saying she felt she should not bother them with her problem. 'My friend later went to Wuse Police Station to make a report on my behalf because I was just at home trying to get over the shock. The police however told her I needed to come myself. I then went on Monday 19 June and was told to write a statement. I also swore to an affidavit on the missing documents and got a police report. With this report, I went to the NYSC office in Abuja to intimate them of the loss of my discharge certificate and I was told that I would need to go to where I served where a letter would be given to me to bring to NYSC Abuja, after which a document similar to my discharge certificate will be given to me".
'I'm yet to get across to Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State from where I got my first degree in Animal Science", Chika stated. She said she has God to thank for saving her as she believes the blood of Jesus she called upon worked to rescue her from the suspected ritualist. Chika stated she has refused to be downcast about failing the aptitude test she went for or the loss of her certificates. The fact that she still has life gives her hope for a brighter future.