Ibiteye made this known while giving a special thanksgiving to God for his safe return, on Sunday during a service at the Word of Life Area of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Kubwa, Abuja.
The RCCG member, while narrating his experience, said his aunt’s husband, together with his son, were kidnapped at Ungwan-Fulani, a suburb in Bwari where they live at the wee hour of August 23.
“I got a phone call from a member of my family that my aunt’s husband and his 19-year-old son have been kidnapped.
.“They were kidnapped, not on the road, but right in their house. The gunmen, numbering about 25, broke into the house and took them away.
“They first broke into a neighbour’s residence but nobody was seen in the house.
“When they couldn’t find anyone, they went to my aunt’s house, forcefully made their way into the house, collected monies to the tune of N20,000, two android phones, took along with them food items, and abducted the father and son.
“I immediately called his wife who cried as she confirmed the ugly experience.
“They were kidnapped last week Monday between the hours of 12am and 1am,” he narrated.
Ibiteye said her aunt informed that the police in the area came few minutes after the abduction but to no avail.
“And since I speak Hausa fluently and no other person could communicate in the language, I engaged their abductors in telephone conversations through my aunt’s mobile phone which they called with.
“At first, they placed N15 million bounty on their heads if we want them released,” he said.
He said after he negotiated further, they lowered the ransom to N2.5 million.
According to him, the police did little or nothing to get the victims rescued.
The police only called to warn that we shouldn’t take money to the terrorists; we shouldn’t be the one to be in charge.
“Generally, they have a lackadaisical approach to the whole thing; they weren’t forthcoming. I didn’t even take them seriously,” he said.
He said after the money was raised, their abductors instructed that the money should be taken to a hilly forest after a village called Kuchikwo in Bwari.
Ibiteye lamented that the biggest challenge for the family was, however, who to take the money to the kidnappers
“I finally resolved to take the N2.5 million to them in the forest. I took a risk giving that my blood relatives were involved.
“I decided not to inform my wife and children about my resolution.
“The only thing I did was to pray to God. I told God to protect me, guide me, and see me through the adventure.
“I also told God that as I go to the forest, I would come back with my aunt’s husband and his son unhurt.
“I developed a strong faith, believing that God would not disappoint me.
“And when I was conversing with the abductors, I tried to build their confidence on the fact that the money we agreed on finally would definitely get to them so long they could guarantee the safety of the captives.
“At times if I talked with them, I would be hearing how my in-law and his son were being tortured,” he said.
According to him, the kidnappers warned us against inviting the police
“They warned that if we informed the police, they would know and we would pay dearly for it,” Ibiteye said.
