UNIJOS graduate says a fake job offer led him to a kidnapper’s hideout

John Arum Azi, a graduate of the University of Jos, recounted a harrowing experience in which he spent 11 days in captivity after a fraudulent job offer led him into the hands of kidnappers in Zamfara State.

Azi shared his testimony on Sunday at a church in Tudun Wada, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

He said he was abducted on 11 April 2026, shortly after traveling from Jos to Zaria, Kaduna State, for what he believed was a legitimate welding job.

The suspects had repeatedly called him, offering welding work and even sending transport money to make the offer appear authentic.

“They kept calling me, asking me to come and work for them. They even sent transport money, so I believed it was a real job,” he said.

After arriving in Zaria, Azi contacted the callers, who instructed him to board a motorcycle bound for a village.

Although he began to feel uneasy during the journey, he ignored the warning signs because he was desperate for employment.

“I started having doubts, but I told myself maybe it was a connection that could help me. I did not know they were kidnappers,” he said.

According to Azi, shortly after reaching the village a man approached him claiming to be the person who had arranged the job.

He was then taken on a motorcycle into a remote forest, where another heavily armed man awaited.

“I saw a gun I had never seen before in my life. The man told me not to be afraid and claimed the person was a hunter, but deep down I knew something was wrong,” he recounted.

The kidnappers forced him to kneel, searched him, confiscated his phone, bag and tools, and gave him unfamiliar clothing and a face mask to wear.

He said they later moved him from Kaduna, through Giwa Local Government Area, into Zamfara State after several hours of traveling on motorcycles through forests and isolated routes.

“We spent almost six hours moving through the bush on motorcycles. There was no security anywhere,” he said.

File: John Arum while in the kidnappers’ den

Upon reaching the camp, the abductors bound his hands and legs and then contacted his family, demanding a ransom of N30 million.

“I gave them my elder brother’s number. They called him and demanded N30m,” he said.

Azi described repeated torture and interrogation about his religion during his captivity.

“They were shooting guns everywhere and asking questions. Out of fear, I initially denied being a Christian because I thought they would kill me,” he said.

Severe beatings eventually forced him to reveal his faith.

“While they were beating me, I suddenly shouted ‘Jesus.’ That was when they discovered I was a Christian,” he added.

Afterward, the kidnappers nicknamed him “Pastor” for the remainder of his detention.

He said constant prayer and reliance on God helped him survive the ordeal.

“The only thing I kept doing was praying and asking God to save me,” he said.

Negotiations reduced the ransom demand from N30 million to N6 million.

Even after the payment was made, the abductors delayed his release and demanded an additional N4 million.

“They started beating me again and said my family should add another N4m. At that point, I thought I would not survive,” he said.

Support from relatives, friends and sympathisers eventually secured his freedom after several days in captivity.

The UNIJOS graduate returned home traumatized but grateful to be alive.