society

Rescued Ekiti kidnap victims discharged from hospital, rejoins families

Following a week- long medical treatment at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado- Ekiti, the eight kidnap victims were on Sunday discharged having fully certified to have stabilised.

They comprised five schoolchildren and three staff of The Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure Ekiti.

They were kidnapped along Emure-Eporo Road on their way home from school and spent six days in the kidnappers’ den before they were released in the early hours of Sunday last week.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, said it was a moment of joy, happiness and excitement having the people rescued from the kidnappers and treated by the government.

Dr Filani, who spoke at the premises of EKSUTH while discharging them, said, “As a government, having had them, including the children released, and having had them properly treated by various teams from management here in the teaching hospital, we would be returning them to their community.”

The Government also provided transportation and security for the victims and their family on their journey back to Emure where they were returned safely to the Elemure palace.

EKSUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Kayode Olabanji, had assured when the eight persons were brought in last Sunday, that they would be given necessary medical attention before they would be discharged.

Prof Olabanji had said, “They were in various conditions when they were brought in, some of them were so dehydrated, we don’t know when last they had taken water or even food. Many of the pupils were in a panic state, you could see that they were very terrified. However, immediately after we brought them in, they were attended to by doctors, nurses and the various specialties.

“We brought in clinical psychologists who could work on them to allay their fears. They were given the initial resuscitations, including rehydration; they were given fluids and some who needed oxygen were given oxygen.

“After they had stabilised a bit, they were even given food. Now, they are much better, we will still carry out a few investigations to fully appraise their situation,” the CMD said.

The grandmother of three of the school children, Mrs Dorcas Ojo, said ishe woukd have committed suicide if the kidnappers had not released her three grandchildren.

The woman, who said the eight abducted persons were saved by God Almighty through the prayers of the people of Emure Ekiti and Eporo Ekiti, said, “The abductors made the children undergo what their parents had never experienced.

“They (children) were traumatised by the kidnappers as they were forced to trek a long distance in the bush, not staying in one location and also not given food to eat for the days they were in captivity.” She added.