Eleven people who were kidnapped in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State have escaped from their captors after the attackers were allegedly overcome by exhaustion and fell asleep following a night-long trek through the forest.
One of the rescued victims, Destiny Braimah, said they were abducted while returning from the farm with 10 other people, where they were forced to march through the forest.
He said after they heard gunshots, which were allegedly fired by police, the gunmen hid and then fell asleep, which gave them the opportunity to escape to a police station.
A woman who had been previously kidnapped, Gloria Inyanugbo, said she spent four days in captivity before her husband paid three million naira for her release, and she recognized some of the kidnappers after they were arrested.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command said it arrested 32 suspected kidnappers in June and rescued 38 people during operations conducted across the state.