Rev. Gideon Haanongon and his personal aides who were reported to have been abducted by unknown gunmen have regained their freedom after about two weeks in captivity.
The Chairman, Rev. Haanongon, his Personal Assistant, Driver and Police security were attacked and abducted Saturday January 13, 2024, by unknown armed men at Anyagba, Tongov, along the Katsina-Ala- Zaki Biam road in Katsina-Ala LGA.
The Nigerian Army, of the 72 Special Forces Battalion under the 401 Special Forces Brigade, Makurdi, acted on a distress call and carried out a rescue mission and in the process destroyed three camps of the kidnappers after which they discovered the abducted Chairman and his aides.
“When we recovered him, we brought him down to our barracks in Makurdi. We administered first aid on him and also, gave him food to eat. He is in good condition.” Says a military source to journalists.
“Early this year, we rescued eight females who were kidnapped on their way to a wedding ceremony along Benue-Enugu road and even neutralized one of the kidnappers. We are determined to secured the State as we have our men the 23 LGAs.”
While recounting his experience, the Chairman said on the fateful day, he was on his way to attend the burial of the late Ter Katsina-Ala, Chief Fezaanga Wombo and around Anyagba, he ran into an ambush by some strange boys who were shooting sporadically and even killed someone.
“at that point, I told my driver to stop the car and they took us straight into the bush. They covered my face throughout the period of my captivity. I did not know when it is day time or night. They kept us inside a thatched house without air.
“Each day, the soldiers will come shooting but they manoeuvred their way through a bush path and hid us near a river. The soldiers destroyed their camps and they kept moving us to another place. They did not feed me because they did not have food themselves to eat. I was urinating often so they gave me banana leaves and it stopped.
“At a point they told me that these soldiers are disturbing them because of me and that the Governor had appealed to them to release me and he will forgive them. They said I should tell the Governor to keep to his words and get them out of the bush. So, at about 8pm on Wednesday, we crossed a stream and trekked a very long distance almost like from Makurdi to Abinsi and they removed the blindfold and asked me to take a path that leads to Zaki-Biam.”
“But I recognized the village which is Tse Wombo in Katsina-Ala because my daughter is married there. I must appreciate immensely the effort of the military because it was their persistent pressure that made the kidnappers release me. Also, the Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security Lt. Col. Alexander Ashungu(rtd) played a significant role in my release.”
National Security Adviser appreciated the troops for their determination in ensuring the safe release of the Council Chairman.
