“We Thought We Would Die”: Rescued Ogun Students Reveal Chilling Days of Beatings, Bush Trek, Crossfire
For four young students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, Ogun State, the night of their abduction began with the terrifying sound of gunshots, and quickly became a fight for survival.
They had no warning that an ordinary night would turn into a nightmare.
When the shooting started, the students reportedly scrambled for safety. Four of them squeezed themselves into a small bathroom, desperately hoping that the armed men would pass without discovering their hiding place.
They held their breath.
They remained silent.
They prayed.
But the kidnappers eventually found them.
What followed was a terrifying journey through the bush, punctuated by beatings, threats, exhaustion and the constant fear that they might never return home alive.
The rescued students have now begun recounting details of the ordeal, offering a chilling insight into what happened after gunmen invaded their residence and abducted them.
According to the account, the students were eventually dragged from their hiding place and forced to lie on the floor. Their hands were tied behind their backs before they were taken away by the attackers.
For the young men, the reality was devastating.
They were no longer students returning to their studies.
They were hostages.
And the bush became their prison.
“We were just trying to survive”
The victims reportedly described how the kidnappers moved them through difficult terrain, forcing them to walk for long periods while constantly warning them against making noise.
The students had to follow instructions carefully because any mistake could attract violence.
They were allegedly ordered to lie down whenever the kidnappers suspected that security operatives or other people were nearby.
Imagine being forced to lie face down in the bush, unable to see what was happening around you, while armed men stood nearby.
For the students, every rustle of leaves, every distant sound and every gunshot carried the possibility of death.
The journey became increasingly painful as their feet and bodies began to ache from walking for hours.
Yet they were reportedly given little opportunity to rest.
Those who could not keep pace were allegedly beaten.
The students recounted how the kidnappers used objects, including a drum and spoon, to beat them when they became too slow or exhausted.
The physical pain, however, was only one part of their suffering.
The psychological torment was far worse.
They did not know where they were being taken.
They did not know when they would be released.
And they could not be certain whether they would survive the next hour.
Trapped between kidnappers and gunfire
At another point during the ordeal, the students reportedly found themselves caught in an atmosphere of terrifying uncertainty when gunshots rang out.
The sound of gunfire meant only one thing to them: danger was close.
The kidnappers reportedly ordered the students to remain completely still and keep quiet.
For the victims, the moments that followed must have seemed endless.
They could hear gunfire but could not see who was shooting.
They did not know whether security operatives were approaching.
They did not know whether the kidnappers were under attack.
And they could not run.
They could only remain where they were and hope the bullets would not find them.
It was a cruel situation in which even the possibility of rescue came with the fear of being caught in the crossfire.
A journey that left them wounded and exhausted
As the ordeal continued, the students reportedly suffered injuries to their feet and legs.
Their bodies were becoming weaker, but the kidnappers allegedly continued forcing them to move.
For young people accustomed to classrooms, hostels and normal student life, the sudden transformation from students into captives in the forest was devastating.
Every step became painful.
Every command became an order they had to obey.
Every delay risked punishment.
And every night brought another question: Would we survive until morning?
The account paints a disturbing picture of the cruelty allegedly inflicted on the victims.
They were not merely deprived of their freedom.
They were physically and psychologically broken down through fear, exhaustion and violence.
The night that changed everything
The abduction followed an attack in which gunmen invaded the students’ residential area.
The attackers reportedly opened fire, creating panic among residents.
The students tried to protect themselves by hiding.
But their efforts were unsuccessful.
Two people were reportedly killed during the attack, further deepening the terror experienced by those who survived.
The students were subsequently taken away from their homes and into the bush.
For their families, the disappearance immediately became a nightmare of its own.
Parents and relatives were left wondering where their children were, whether they had been injured and whether they would ever see them again.
Days of uncertainty
As the students remained in captivity, their families lived through the agonising uncertainty that accompanies kidnapping.
Every telephone call could bring devastating news.
Every unknown number could be a ransom demand.
Every delay could mean danger.
Meanwhile, the students were enduring their own battle deep in the bush.
Their account has now revealed that their survival depended not only on the intervention of security agencies but also on their ability to endure unbearable physical and emotional pressure.
The rescue that brought tears of relief
After days of captivity, security agencies eventually mounted operations that led to the students’ rescue.
The students regained their freedom on August 6, following security operations in the area. Daily Post previously reported that the abducted Gateway ICT Polytechnic students were rescued after security forces intensified efforts to locate them.
The Nigeria Police Force later reported that six kidnapped students were rescued in Ogun State following intensive security pressure, with a firearm allegedly used in the incident recovered as an exhibit.
Their rescue brought enormous relief to their families, fellow students and the wider Ogun community.
For relatives who had spent days praying and waiting, seeing the students alive again was nothing short of a miracle.
But freedom did not erase the memories.
The scars that may not be visible
Today, the students are no longer in the hands of their captors.
They can sleep in safety.
They can speak freely.
They can walk without being ordered around.
But the psychological scars of the experience may remain long after their physical wounds have healed.
The memory of hiding inside a bathroom while gunmen moved around outside.
The terror of being tied up.
The long march through the bush.
The pain of being beaten for failing to keep pace.
The sound of gunfire.
The fear of being caught in crossfire.
And the agonising uncertainty of whether they would ever see their families again.
These are experiences no young person should ever have to endure.
A painful warning for Ogun
The ordeal of the Gateway ICT Polytechnic students has once again raised serious questions about the safety of students living around tertiary institutions and communities vulnerable to criminal attacks.
For Global Mirror News, the story is more than another report of kidnapping.
It is the story of young Nigerians whose dreams were suddenly interrupted by violence.
They left home as students.
They returned as survivors.
And their accounts offer a sobering reminder that behind every kidnapping figure is a human being someone with parents, siblings, friends, ambitions and a future they desperately want to reclaim.
Their survival deserves celebration.
But their ordeal should never be forgotten.
Global Mirror News gathered that security agencies are continuing efforts to track down members of the criminal network behind the abduction, while the rescued students recover from the physical and emotional trauma of their captivity.
For the survivors, the most important journey now is not through the forest.
It is the journey back to normal life.
And after everything they endured, they deserve the chance to heal, return to their studies and pursue the dreams that the kidnappers tried, but failed, to take away from them.
