“I Trekked Two Hours With ₦30 Million” – Mechanic Who Risked His Life to Save a Customer Kidnapped by Taraba Bandits.
There is a story coming out of Taraba State that has left many people shaking their heads — not because of the kidnappers, but because of who stepped up when everyone else backed down.
A man was taken by bandits some weeks ago. They demanded ₦50 million for his release. His family sold off his belongings, including his car, and managed to gather ₦30 million. After much pleading, the kidnappers agreed to accept that amount.
But there was a catch. The money had to be delivered to a specific location in Karim Lamido, a local government area in Taraba. Only one person could bring it. Any mistake, the kidnappers warned, and the man would lose his life.
When the time came to move the money, the man’s relatives began to pull back. One after another, they said they could not take that kind of risk. The man’s son wanted to go, but he was still a boy — not yet 20 years old. Days passed without any word from the family. The kidnappers called again and threatened to kill their captive.
That was when the mechanic heard what was going on.
This mechanic had worked on the man’s car not long ago. He lived in the same area. When he learned about the situation, he went to visit the family. They told him everything — the money, the threats, the fear that had frozen them in place.
The mechanic made a decision. He would take the money himself.
Early the next morning, he left for Karim Lamido. When he got there, he tried to find a commercial motorcycle rider to carry him further. None of them agreed. The place the kidnappers had described was too dangerous. So he started walking.
For almost two hours, he trekked along paths that were barely roads — mostly cattle trails. Throughout the walk, the kidnappers stayed on the phone with him, giving him directions at every turn. Left here. Right there. Keep going.
After a while, he reached a forest. Two men were waiting on a motorcycle. One of them was holding an AK-47 rifle. They called him over and told him to follow them.
He climbed onto the motorcycle and sat between the two men. In that moment, he later said, he said his final prayer.
The motorcycle ride lasted another two hours. They finally stopped at another location where four more men were waiting. The men checked the money. They counted it and confirmed the amount.
The mechanic did not see the kidnapped man there. But the kidnappers assured him the man was alive and would be released after they finished confirming the ransom.
True to their word, once the money was verified, they let the man go. They put him inside a vehicle heading toward Taraba State. They even gave him back his phone so he could call his family and tell them he was safe.
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The kidnappers then gave the mechanic directions to leave. They told him to turn around and not look back. He followed their instructions, and in less than ten minutes, he was already back in Karim Lamido town.
It turned out that while bringing the money, the kidnappers had taken him on a very long and stressful route on purpose — probably to confuse him and make sure he was not being followed. But on the way back, they showed him the shortest path. What had taken hours going in took only minutes coming out.
The Most Remarkable Part
Here is what makes this story even more striking. The mechanic’s wife was heavily pregnant during all of this. She was almost due to give birth. He knew the risks. He knew he might not come back. But he still chose to help a customer — a man who had always brought his vehicles to his workshop.
When people asked him why he did it, he simply said that the man had been good to him over the years. He could not sit back and do nothing.
The rescued man is now back home with his family. The mechanic has returned to his workshop. And in a time when bad news seems to come from every direction, this story has given many people something to think about — not just about fear, but about courage, and the kind of person who shows up when everyone else steps away.
This story was gathered from sources familiar with the incident in Taraba State. Names have been withheld at the request of those involved.
“I Trekked Two Hours With ₦30 Million” – Mechanic Who Risked His Life to Save a Customer Kidnapped by Taraba Bandits.
