Ibrahim Bodunde Oyinlade, the Chief Imam of Uso, in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo, has narrated how his abductors forced him to trek for long hours inside the bush shortly after he was kidnapped on his farmland.

Peoples Gazette reported that Mr Oyinlade, 67, was abducted by suspected gunmen on his farmland at Asolo camp in June.

Speaking, Mr Oyinlade revealed that his abductors maltreated him just like a common criminal by tying his hand and legs to the tree for several days.

He explained that he was also “beaten mercilessly”, especially when his abductors observed he could only communicate in Yoruba and not English language in their den.

“My hands and legs were tied to the tree, and I was beaten and maltreated while they negotiated with my family. They even beat me because I could not speak English to them. I spoke in Yoruba,” Mr Oyinlade said shortly after his suspected abductors were paraded by the police in Akure.

The police had announced the arrest of three suspects in connection with the abduction of Mr Oyinlade.

The cleric told journalists in Akure on Tuesday that the abductors had information about him earlier before they kidnapped him and negotiated a ransom of N10 million with his family members.

The cleric said his abductors did not give him food or water and that his family eventually paid N2 million ransom.

Meanwhile, the police said it arrested three suspects concerning the abduction of Mr Oyinlade.

The three suspects, Muinah Mohammed, 19, Isah Bello, 40, and Aish Bello, 20, were nabbed through intelligence and gathering.

The state police spokesperson, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, said the suspects were tracked through the telephone used in negotiating with the cleric’s family.

Ms Odunlami-Omisanya explained that a police investigation uncovered how Ms Bello gave her father’s old SIM to his boyfriend (Mohammed), who used it to negotiate with the victim’s family.