NEWS
TERROR ON THE HIGHWAY: “I DON’T WANT TO DIE” — UNIJOS STUDENT, JOHN ARUM ABDUCTED WITH SIX OTHERS BEGS FOR LIFE IN DISTURBING CAPTIVITY VIDEO AS KIDNAPPERS THREATEN EXECUTION OVER ₦30 MILLION RANSOM
John Arum, a University of Jos student abducted alongside six other passengers while travelling from Jos in Plateau State to Kaduna State, has appeared in a new video pleading for help from captivity.
The victims were reportedly intercepted along the highway by armed men and taken away during the journey, with earlier reports indicating that a ransom had been demanded for their release.
In the video, he is seen making a direct appeal to his family and relatives under visible distress, saying his condition in captivity is critical.
“Please help, family and relatives help. I have been kidnapped and I’m in a very critical condition here.
“I don’t want to die. Please, help. Please, look for money by all means to secure my release,“ he pleaded.
In newly released footage, one of the kidnappers is heard addressing the victim’s family, warning of dire consequences if ransom demands are not met.
“Your relatives should try and bring some money they are able to raise, and if they can’t provide, we will do the needful (kill) because money is not only our problem.
“When we ask for ransom and you can’t provide, we will kill you. You know we are in Zamfara right? Tell your family we kidnapped you in Kaduna and took you to Zamfara forest,” he warns.
The condition of the other six abducted passengers remains unknown, and it is not yet clear whether their families have established contact with the kidnappers or received separate ransom demands.
Arum, who earlier appeared in a previous video where he was tortured, is at the center of the attackers’ demands.
On Tuesday, it was reported that the kidnappers had requested a ransom of ₦30 million for his release.
In an earlier video obtained, Arum was shown being beaten by two of the assailants. They repeatedly flogged him with a large stick in what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to inflict severe pain and instill fear.
Despite his pleas for mercy, the attackers continued the assault. At one point, they placed a heavy stone on his back, forced him to lie face-down, and pressed a rifle against his head while continuing the abuse.
“Please don’t kill me… I’m begging you,” he pleaded.
The brutality did not stop there. After several minutes of continuous torture, the bandits ordered him to appeal publicly for ransom, even as one of them kept beating him.
In the video, Arum, visibly weak and in distress, said: “We are on our way from Jos to Kaduna, and they kidnapped seven of us. Now they are demanding ₦30 million before they can release me. Please find the money and bring it.”
It was gathered the video was recorded using Arum’s own mobile phone by the kidnappers and subsequently sent to his coursemates via a group chat, apparently to pressure his family, friends, and the public into raising the ransom.
The condition of the other six victims abducted alongside him remains unclear as of t
he time of filing this report.