… Says I lived on water for 7 days
• Kidnappers were not paid ransom –Amosun 

From Segun Olatunji, Abeokuta

FORMER minister of state for education, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo has recounted her ordeal during the seven days she spent with her abductors.

Few hours after she was released, Anisulowo, who looked frail and tired, said she lived on water and did not eat any food throughout her captivity.

She spoke just as Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun said the kidnappers raised ransom for Anisulowo from N100 million to N200 million because of his involvement in the search for the female politician.

Governor Amosun said leaders of the kid- nap gang abused him ‘thoroughly’ on the telephone in a conversation he had with them while the search for Anisulowo lasted.

The governor said kingpin of the group accused him of ‘pokenosing’ into an issue that did not concern him, rather than facing his primary duty of governing the state.

Anisulowo and Amosun spoke on Tuesday night at Government House, Isale-Igbein in Abeokuta, when Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali personally drove the former minister to the governor at about 10:13pm, hours after she was rescued.

Ali was in company with other security chiefs in the state, in- cluding the Commander 35 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General S. Danwalis and Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Kabir Sanni.

Narrating her ordeal, Anisulowo, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dressed in a peach lace material, said the courage and the fighting spirit of Amosun in securing her freedom was what kept her alive and hopeful that she would eventually regain freedom from her abductors.
The former lawmaker recalled how she shunned food offered by her abductors and remained prayerful throughout her captivity.

“I was on water. I did not eat anything throughout. I am short of words, but I want to thank the governor and also thank God. I want to thank you Mr. Governor for all the efforts you put in with the security agents. I know the courage you have and the spirit to fight to the end and that was what kept me in the bush, there.

“I had an assurance that with the security agents you have, you will work it through. I thank God.” Taking it up from there, the governor explained that the kidnap kingpin even threatened to deal with and teach him a lesson. Amosun thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his personal intervention and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase.

He also thanked all security agencies in the state for their effort in ensuring Anisulowo’s release and expressed confidence that with modern day equipment, the police, the army and the DSS would perform greatly in protecting the lives and property of Nigerians. He described the rescue of the former minister as a huge success, adding that the feat would bring down the act of kidnapping in the country.

He said: “I have always argued that our security agencies can work, un- less they don’t want to. We need to give kudos to God and thank our security people. This, indeed, is a different experience for me; I see the extent to which our security agencies can go.

“I don’t want to sound immodest, but I want to thank Mr. President and the IGP, the army and the SSS. They created a war room and everybody was communicating everyday. Like I said, I don’t want to sound immodest, but truly, the way they have resolved this is amazing.”