KEKE DRIVER, FRIEND RESCUED AFTER KIDNAP BY ARMED HERDSMEN IN NASARAWA. (PHOTO).

 KEKE DRIVER, FRIEND RESCUED AFTER KIDNAP BY ARMED HERDSMEN IN NASARAWA

23rd June, 2025   

A tricycle (Keke) driver identified as Terkaa and his friend, Pikin, have regained their freedom after being kidnapped by suspected Fulani herdsmen along the Kadarako axis while traveling to Agyalagu in Nasarawa State.

The victims were attacked while onboard a vehicle loaded with goods alongside a third companion, Aondonegen. The trio, en route from Makurdi, ran into the ambush near Kadarako where they were all abducted and taken into the forest by the assailants.

Tragically, Aondonegen was killed during the ordeal after he reportedly attempted to resist their captors by grabbing one of the armed men’s cutlasses and raising alarm.

According to eyewitness accounts, the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of ₦15 million for the release of the two surviving captives. However, a man identified only as Naty—who was described as a close associate of the victims and fluent in Fulfulde, the language of the kidnappers—intervened and negotiated the ransom down to ₦1 million after two days of tense dialogue.

Naty, who reportedly left his pregnant wife behind to help rescue his friends, trekked a long distance—estimated to be up to 30 kilometers—into the forest to deliver the ransom. He was severely beaten by the kidnappers during the exchange, but successfully secured the release of Terkaa and Pikin.

The trio returned to Makurdi on Sunday evening, visibly wounded but alive.

Residents have hailed Naty’s bravery and selflessness, describing his act as heroic. “He risked everything to bring his friends back home. May God bless him,” one community member said.

Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident. The increasing spate of abductions along the Kadarako-Agyalagu corridor has heightened fears among travelers and locals alike.