The kidnappers were believed to be money ritualists. But what alarmed people of Agboku was that they were allegedly sent by Pastor Rafiu Sawo, the biological son of the woman.
Born a Muslim 35 years ago, Rafiu Sawo is now a Christian and was the founder of Celestial Church of Christ, [Oke itura Parish,] Owode, Ogun state, which he shepherds. The old woman was reportedly kidnapped and taken far away on a chartered motorcycle popularly called Okada to a thick forest, near Ayede village where her throat was slashed with knife. Taken for dead, she was then covered with raffia
leaves and dumped by the bush path. Her assailants thereafter took leave of 'the corpse' to put a call across to Pastor Sawo to come over and sever the head as required for the money ritual .Unknown to them, Madam Aduke was still alive and she escaped to safely before they came for her.Recounting her ordeals and narrow escape , she told our reporter in a private clinic at Ado Odo, where she is still recuperating, that it was God that saved her.Telling her strange-but-true story, she said: "My name is Aduke, my husband's name is Sawo, now late. I am about seventy years old. I have five children, namely, Wahab, Silifat, Iyabode, Rashidat, and the one in question now is Rafiu.
Since my husband passed on, I have been charged with the responsibility of sending then to school and looking after their welfare.I suffered untold hardships and did all kinds of odd jobs to take care of myself and the children before old ages started catching up with me."Madam Aduke, who looked frail on the hospital stretcher stated further that, "some times I fetched water from the Ado-Odo streams to houses for a token in order to make ends meet. Also, I sold different herbs cut in the bush.
My other children are contend with this simple life and they assist me in my old age, Rafiu, who is the fourth in the family has always been the black sheep among them all. Like the prodigal son, Rafiu ran away to Ajangbadi, in the outskirts of Lagos where he stayed for close to three years, in the company of some friends of questionable character. I warned him to avoid the company of all bad friends to no avail.""Last week, we were planning for a burial ceremony. I was here in Ado-Odo with one of my daughters who had just given birth to a set of twins. Rafiu came here in the company of some of his friends.
He told me that they were planning to offer a sacrifice to appease the gods of the land in Agboku to avoid the untimely death of my children.I did not know that he had planned with his friends to kill me for money making ritual. He had already instructed the Okada man to drive me to the specific area where I would be killed. He rode hurriedly and dangerously. Along Agboku bush, I was told to say my last prayer.
I was further told that today was going to be my last day on earth. The Okada man said he had instruction to cut off my head to better the financial condition of my son, Rafiu and others. And before I could say anything, he had pushed me down from the bike, drawn up a sharp dagger and slashed my throat. Because he was in a hurry he slashed it half way. I lay face down on the floor and pretended that I had died as blood gushed out of my neck.He started making desperate calls to Rafiu to come and cut off my head.
When I saw that he had left to pick Rafiu, I managed to stand up and staggered away to the nearby village where I begged some people to save my life. They brought me here where I am presently receiving treatment."Speaking with the our correspondent , the Nurse in charge of the clinic said, "Initially I was reluctant to admit the woman because of the problems of these Egun speaking people around here. I changed my mind later because of her condition and the need to assist a fellow being.
She is presently on antibiotics and she is responding well to treatment. The Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Divisional Police Station Ado-Odo, one Mr. Adesina confirmed that the case was reported at the division but told our reporter that the information about the whereabouts of the suspect was still sketchy while investigations were still on going.
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